40 religious communities left Moscow Patriarchate throughout 2015
More and more Ukrainian Orthodox faithful are changing their affiliation from the UOC (MP) to the UOC-KP.
It was reported during the round table on the Committee on Culture and Spirituality, held in Kyiv on October 28.
Participating in the event were MPs of Ukraine, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, government agencies, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, experts in the field of freedom of conscience and human rights, NGOs.
According to Espreso.TV, it was reported at the roundtable that since the beginning of 2015 till October the number of confessional transitions tripled. Last year there were 28, but now the intention to change confessional affiliation was stated by 67 communities.
Most transitions occur from the Moscow Patriarchate to the Kyiv Patriarchate - 40.
Among the regions, Rivne region is leading - 11 transitions, then follows Kyiv region – 8 transitions, Poltava - 5, Kirovohrad – 5, Ternopil - 4.
8 UAOC communities expressed their desire to join the UOC-KP and 4 communities of Kyiv Patriarchate on the contrary decided to go to the Autocephalous Church.
The rating of trust to the Church also changed. If until 2015 most people trusted the church, the army occupied the second position, the third was occupied by civic organizations and volunteers, from 2015 these indicators changed. In the first place are volunteers and the Church has descended to the third place.
