Pope urges Ukraine not to abolish any Christian church directly or indirectly

MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) - Pope Francis expressed concern over possible threats to religious freedom in Ukraine during his Sunday meeting with pilgrims, Ukrainian media reported, citing the Vatican News website.

The pontiff said he was following the Ukraine crisis with sorrow. "And in thinking about the laws recently adopted in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for all. A person does not commit evil because of praying. If someone commits evil against his people, he will be guilty for it, but he cannot have committed evil because he prayed. So let those who want to pray be allowed to pray in what they consider their Church. Please, let no Christian Church be abolished directly or indirectly. Churches are not to be touched!" the Pope said.

As reported, on August 20, the Verkhovna Rada passed in the second reading and as a whole a bill banning in Ukraine the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church with regard to protecting the constitutional order in the area of religious organizations' activities, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed it into law on August 24.

The law takes effect 30 days after its publication, except for two provisions: the day after its publication, the government begins drafting bylaws, and nine months later, a clause in the bill comes into force that enables the State Service for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience to file a lawsuit with the court to terminate the activities of a religious organization if the service has established its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Moscow viewed the Ukrainian law as a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms, in particular, the freedom of conscience and religion. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia condemned the law, noting that it was an attack on canonical Orthodoxy.