nr.10 / vol. 4 – Conflict And Religion: The Case Of Ukraine
~by Natalya Belitser – Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, Kyiv, Ukraine
Religions in Ukraine: A Brief Overview
Ukraine is not only a multi-ethnic, but also a multi-religious country. More than 97% of the religious communities now registered in Ukraine are Christian. Dominant Orthodox Christians constitute about half of these communities; the other half is divided among Catholics and Protestants. Orthodoxy in Ukraine is represented by three leading churches and several smaller confessions, including Old Believers and the Russian True Orthodox Church (RTOC). The three main Orthodox Churches of Ukraine are:
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church under jurisdiction of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP)
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC)
Major Catholic churches in Ukraine are represented by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Roman Catholic Church (RCC), and Armenian Catholic Church.
Ukraine is home to quite a few Jewish and Muslim communities, also Buddhists, Jehova’s Witnesses, and Neo-pagans; a number of non-traditional and new religious movements are also present, and some of them are growing dynamically. …
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