LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE UNIFICATION PROCESS OF ORTHODOXY IN UKRAINE: CURRENT STATE AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

This article explores the rationale and characteristics of the transformation of Ukraine’s religious legislation between 2018 and 2025, aimed at resolving the Ukrainian Orthodox schism. The study analyzes three specific legislative acts: Law № 2662–VIII on changing the names of religious organizations whose governing centers are located in the aggressor state; Law № 4128-d-VIII “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine (Regarding the Subordination of Religious Organizations and the Procedure for State Registration of Religious Organizations with the Status of a Legal Entity)”; and the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations”. The paper examines the prospects and shortcomings of the legislative framework designed to facilitate the unification of Orthodox believers in Ukraine into a Single Local Church based on the Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It highlights shifts in the state’s strategic intent regarding the Orthodox issue in the context of Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, the application of religious legislation is analyzed through an urban-rural dichotomy, demonstrating how this divide precludes the establishment of a uniform criteria base for determining membership within religious communities. The author proposes political and administrative-legal mechanisms to overcome the Orthodox jurisdictional crisis as it stands in 2026. The administrative and bureaucratic reasons behind the failure to accomplish the ecclesiastical and political objectives of unifying Orthodox believers in Ukraine are outlined. The study also details the specificities of mobilization deferment for clergy and the involvement of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in chaplaincy activities. Finally, the necessity of drafting a legislative bill on alternative service based on religious beliefs is substantiated.