Ukrainian Christian Churches are concerned about inefficiency of dialogue between government and society
6 November 2012
Recently there is a growing lack of attention from the authorities to the proposals and initiatives of public institutions, including churches and religious organizations.
This was discussed during a meeting of the Council of Representatives of Christian Churches of Ukraine on November 1, 2012 under the chairmanship of the senior bishop of the Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith of Ukraine Mykhailo Panochko.
There were discussed few examples of ineffective dialogue between the government and the public such as the adoption of the law on language, which led to public protests, the development and adoption of the amendments to Law on Freedom of Conscience (draft law № 10221) over the objections of the religious community, ambiguous content of decisions of the Government Commission on the enforcement of the rights of religious organizations.
Representatives of churches agreed on a joint action to restore constructive church-state relations. In particular, their future position in the dialogue with the authorities will depend on the decision of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych in the call of the veto to the Law of Ukraine "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" (draft law № 10221).
It will be recalled that the need to veto changes adopted by Parliament without debate and in violation of promises given to the leaders of denominations, was announced by the members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations at a meeting with the Head of State, the Meeting of the Christian Churches of Ukraine, as well as by human rights defenders, activists and scholars in their open letter.
In addition, during the meeting representatives of the Christian Churches have discussed joint measures to prepare and celebrate 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kievan Rus. They agreed to accumulate proposals and agree on them during a meeting of leaders of Churches, which is scheduled for this month.
The Meeting of Churches also expressed their concern with the promotion in Ukraine the occult way of celebrating All Saints Day, which in the West is called Halloween. Representatives of Churches pointed to the danger of spiritual and, as a consequence, the physical health of such merrymaking associated with the embodiment of the impure forces and characters of horror films.
Besides, in their view, religious themes increasingly become the object of speculation for marketing purposes to gain more sales of the appropriate attributes. Leaders of Christian Churches plan separately to raise this subject matter in a special address to the public.
The meeting of Churches was attended by the representatives of:
- Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith of Ukraine;
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate;
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in union with the Moscow Patriarchate)
- Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church;
- All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians-Baptists;
- Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church;
- Brotherhood of Independent Churches and Missions of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Ukraine;
- Ukrainian Lutheran Church.
Translation by Svitlana Sydorenko
© 2012 The Institute for Religious Freedom – Kyiv, Ukraine
www.irf.in.ua
