The Government of Ukraine has initiated a reform of church-state relations: what will change

The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has begun discussions on harmonizing relations between the state and the church. The head of this service, Viktor Yelensky, noted that the law on state-church relations was adopted in 1991 and needs updating, considering the changes in Ukraine during this time.

«Practically no key moment in the history of our Independence has been marked by the active participation of Ukrainian churches. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has transformed over nearly 30 years of its existence into a unique space not only for interdenominational interaction but also for state-church cooperation. That is, we can already speak of a real model of cooperation between the state and religious organizations», - Yelensky explained.

In order to substantiate the new model of cooperation, the State Ethnopolitics conducted consultations with experts, representatives of religious organizations, government officials, and scientists. He noted that none of the 19 European countries that have a church-state separation regime have problems in cooperation. Yelensky expressed proposals for building a partnership model between the state and the church, as well as making changes to legislation to develop cooperation in various areas. A decision was also recently made regarding the status of certain churches in Ukraine, including the Kyiv Metropolitan and the Moscow Church. The Ukrainian State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience is actively working on a new model of cooperation between the state and the church, emphasizing the importance of this partnership in modern society.