(AP) – The Ukrainian government announced that the Orthodox Church branch hasn’t managed to sever its long-standing connections with Moscow, which could lead to a ban soon.
This potential ban impacts one of the two rival branches of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, drawing attention to the complicated religious dynamics amidst the ongoing conflict. In both Russia and Ukraine, Orthodoxy is the predominant faith, serving as a cultural battleground alongside the broader war.
This legal action emerges a year after the Ukrainian parliament enacted a law prohibiting the Moscow-aligned Russian Orthodox Church, in part as a strong response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The law also facilitated the banning of organizations linked to the Russian Church. An investigation into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has historical ties to Moscow, quickly followed.
Since the initiation of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the UOC has condemned the actions. That same year, it declared independence from Moscow’s Church, reiterating this position in 2025.
However, the government claims that the UOC has not taken essential steps—like updating its governing documents—to finalize this separation.
On August 27, the government’s lawsuit will require a lengthy legal process to be fully effective.
The government is seeking a court ruling to ban the operations of the UOC. If the court rules against them, the church has the right to appeal to a higher court, a process that could span several months, according to legal sources.
The Ukrainian State Service on Ethnic Politics and Freedom of Conscience, also known as Dess, reported findings linking the UOC to Moscow.
Under current laws, certain UOC congregations may be barred from using properties they do not own, which is significant in a country where the state owns and leases many historic church locations.
This measure primarily targets the UOC’s “Kyiv Metropolis,” a central governing body led by Metropolitan Onufrey, whose Ukrainian citizenship has been revoked. Other UOC-affiliated entities, such as monasteries and local parishes, might also face sanctions.
The UOC declared its independence from Moscow in 2022, and it has taken steps to emphasize this separation, like omitting the remembrance of Kirill, the head of the Moscow Church, during liturgies. Kirill has openly supported the invasion and presided over a council that framed the conflict as a crusade.
Earlier this year, Dess urged the UOC to take additional actions to demonstrate its complete disassociation from Moscow, including actions against those in occupied territories that remain aligned with the Russian Church.
Onufrey has criticized the UOC’s previous proclamations of independence, labeling them as inappropriate.
Meanwhile, the government maintains its stance.
“This is not just a religious group; it’s an extension of a hostile state,” said a statement from Dess.
UOC attorney Robert Amsterdam contended that the government has “deliberately overlooked” the UOC’s efforts to distance itself from Moscow.
He accused the government of pushing politically motivated agendas to “weaken independent systems in the nation.”
Separately, the government has alleged that several UOC clergymen have faced criminal cases and claimed ties to Russia.
A survey by the Kyiv Institute of International Sociology in 2024 indicated that about 70% of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox.
The study found that many of these individuals see the UOC as linked to Moscow, although there has been some dispute over this classification. The UOC includes numerous parishes and monasteries spread across Ukraine.
Most surveyed Orthodox believers identified with a rival Ukrainian Orthodox Church that gained independence in 2019 through the recognition of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
Although Bartholomew is considered first among equals among Orthodox patriarchs, he lacks the authority granted to the Pope in Catholicism. Moscow has contested his recognition of the church, viewing it as an infringement on its territory. Russian officials have even cited these conflicts as reasoning to support their ongoing actions in Ukraine.
During a recent press conference, President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that individual parishes would have the autonomy to decide their affiliations. He clarified that this issue transcends religious doctrine, focusing instead on associations with an aggressor state. “No one is asking them to abandon their beliefs,” he remarked.
The ongoing dispute surrounding the UOC has impacted discussions regarding U.S. assistance to Ukraine, especially as the current administration expresses wariness about such aid. Some supporters of Ukraine have accused it of infringing on religious freedoms.
The U.S. International Religious Liberty Committee expressed concerns in 2024 over the law prohibiting groups affiliated with Moscow but also emphasized that “Russia remains the greatest threat to religious freedom in Ukraine,” noting repression in occupied regions.
A 2024 report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also criticized the legislation, stating that entire religious communities might be held accountable for the actions of individual members. This report addressed various groups, including Catholics, Muslims, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, while highlighting Russia’s restrictions on religious freedoms in areas it occupies.
The current conflict has affected Orthodox communities even in the United States, including a contentious meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Archbishop of Alaska this past August.
