OCU Calls EU Membership the 'Obvious' Choice for Ukraine

KYIV — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, the Bishops’ Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has issued a message urging Ukrainians to continue supporting the country’s path toward membership in the European Union, presenting European integration as consistent with both Ukraine’s historical development and its future as an independent state.

Released July 15 from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the message states that, although "the European Union has many problems," it nevertheless provides an environment in which "one can freely preach the Gospel and profess the Orthodox Christian faith, not distorted by the heretical doctrine of the 'Russian world.'" The statement also describes Europe as "a space of freedom" where national, spiritual, and cultural identity can be preserved.

The council framed Ukraine's European aspirations within the broader context of the country's Christian history, arguing that the Baptism of Ukraine-Rus brought the nation into the community of Christian European states more than a millennium ago. The message further links the future of the OCU to the continued existence of "an independent, united, democratic Ukraine."

Concluding its appeal, the council declared: "Therefore, for us the choice is obvious — the Bishops' Council consistently supports the path chosen by our people of unity with the European democratic community."

Previously, the UOJ reported that the EU dropped Patr. Kirill from proposed Russia sanctions.