The UGCC in annexed Crimea took the challenge and strives for registration

The patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the roundtable "Forcible liquidation of UGCC and its consequences: lessons and challenges for today" held in Kyiv told what is happening with the UGCC in the annexed Crimea.

In the communist propaganda of the Soviet Union self-liquidation was the key word to understand the fate of the churches. Tactics of the Russian authorities in Crimea, as stressed the patriarch, has not changed.

"After the annexation of Crimea all religious organizations were outlawed. This is due to certain judicial process, which established the requirement to all religious organizations without exception, go through the registration process. Apparently, the State Security Service of Russia doesn’t  have any imagination or creativity and use old tricks. Now the UGCC in Crimea is waiting for a decision to which category we are to be enrolled and what terminology we are to use, regulation or elimination," - said Patriarch Sviatoslav.

The Head of the UGCC stated that there is now a real danger for the Church in Crimea to undergo the same experience as 70 years ago during the liquidation of the UGCC by the Stalinist regime.

"In order not to give the propaganda any opportunity to speak about the self-liquidation of the UGCC in Crimea our communities wish to complete this registration”, - said the patriarch. “We know that there is enormous pressure from the public authorities that refuse to keep the title "Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church." By all means we try to keep our position and not give anyone occasion to speak about the self-dissolution or self-liquidation.