News

Rada passes bill on transition of communities from one church to another

Kiev, January 17, Interfax - Ukraine's Verkhovnaya Rada has passed a bill outlining a mechanism governing changes in subordination for religious communities.

The bill, which amends the laws on subordination of religious organizations and procedures of state registration of religious organizations with the status of legal entity, was supported by 229 MPs at a plenary session of the Verkhovnaya Rada on Thursday.

The bill is related to legal issues that might arise as communities go over from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which received a tomos in Constantinople.

The bill would have the state recognize the right of a religious community to change its subordination by registering a new edition of its charter or amending the current charter.

A decision on changing subordination would be made by the assembly of a religious community. Such an assembly would be called by its members.

A decision would have to be made by at least two-thirds of a quorum and would need to be signed by members of the religious community who supported it.

Changes in the subordination of religious communities would not affect the content of the right of ownership or other property rights of such communities.

Members who disagree with such a decision would have the right to create a new community and sign a contract on procedures for using the house of worship and property with the owner (user).

These changes would be made to the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations.

The Law on the State Registration of Legal Entities, Private Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Entities would also be amended.

If signed by the president, the bill will take effect the day following its publication.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Klitchko speaks in defense of UOC 22 February 2019, 21:59
• UOC bishop calls on Ukrainian PM to put end to church takeovers 22 February 2019, 21:48
• Investigative Committee, human rights commissioner in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District to verify info on torture of detained Jehovah's Witnesses 22 February 2019, 18:51
• Karakol Initiative Group in Altay added to list of prohibited organizations 21 February 2019, 19:24
• Moscow Patriarchate's UOC says only 12 out of 36,000 communities joined OCU 21 February 2019, 19:22
• Putin awaiting Supreme Court conclusions on freedom of conscience, religious organizations law violations 21 February 2019, 17:53
• Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society opens UK office 21 February 2019, 17:49
• The Cyprus Synod doesn't recognize the new church of Ukraine 21 February 2019, 10:41
• Patriarch of Georgia concerned about situation in Ukrainian Orthodox Christianity 21 February 2019, 10:03
• Russian Investigative Committee denies reports of Jehovah's Witnesses members' torture in Surgut 20 February 2019, 16:08
• Crimean leader denies forced eviction of OCU church in Simferopol 20 February 2019, 10:09
• Russian Orthodox Church demands freedom of movement for Ukrainian Orthodox Church priest held in Donbass 20 February 2019, 10:04
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church sees no legal grounds for its shutdown 19 February 2019, 18:50
• Ukraine's accusations about Moscow vandalizing churches stupid - Russian Orthodox Church 19 February 2019, 17:24
• UOC Metropolitan held in Donbass on suspicion of separatism (updated) 18 February 2019, 17:45
• UOC bishop draws int'l organizations' attention to violation of believers' rights in Ukraine 18 February 2019, 15:49
• SBU head Gritsak accuses Russia of playing 'religious card' in Ukraine for interference in electoral process 18 February 2019, 15:47
• Court can stop religious organization's activity if it refuses renaming - Ukraine's Culture Ministry 18 February 2019, 11:47
• UOC calls on Ukrainian authorities not to create artificial obstacles in church life 18 February 2019, 11:20
• Jehovah's Witnesses group shut down in Khanty-Mansiysk District 15 February 2019, 22:17
• Ukraine annuls Bishop Gedeon's passport 15 February 2019, 22:14
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Bishop Gedeon deported from Ukraine over his appeal to U.S. Congress - Russian Orthodox Church 14 February 2019, 16:40
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church bishop stopped at Kiev airport deported to U.S. 14 February 2019, 16:30
• No grounds so far to reconsider stance on Jehovah's Witnesses - Russian Justice Ministry 14 February 2019, 12:17
• Russian courts' ban on Jehovah's Witnesses founded - Justice Ministry 13 February 2019, 11:53
• Russian Orthodox Church's Asian exarch assumes office created in response to Constantinople's actions 13 February 2019, 11:46
• OCU bishop's visit exposes weakness of Patriarch Bartholomew's positions - Russian Orthodox Church 13 February 2019, 11:41
• Senior Athos clergy decline photo-op with new Ukrainian church bishop 13 February 2019, 11:35
• Jehovah's Witnesses not persecuted for belief, penalized for illegal activity - Lebedev 12 February 2019, 15:44
• Revision of Jehovah's Witnesses case possible in event of ECHR's decision - Lebedev 12 February 2019, 15:41

Other news