Cutting ties with Moscow — What does Ukraine's church bill really mean

Ukraine 's parliament passed on Aug. 20 a much-debated bill banning activities of religious organizations with ties to Russia .

The bill is not a step against any kind of religious belief but aims to sever all ties between Russia and religious organizations in Ukraine .

It specifically prohibits the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church ( ROC ) the leading church in Russia seen as a close ally of Vladimir Putin's regime.

The UOC-MP has come under heavy scrutiny during the war over purported sympathies and ties.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine was founded in 2018 as an institution representing Ukrainian Orthodoxy fully independent of Moscow .

Some 1,700 communities announced they are switching allegiance from the Moscow Patriarchate to the autocephalous church.

Some UOC-MP parishes started gradually transferring to the new church, a process that gained new urgency after the outbreak of the full-scale war.

Some 63% of Ukrainians are in favor of banning the church, according to surveys.

OCU primate Epiphanius said he is ready for a dialogue with his UOC-MP counterpart, Metropolitan Onufriy .

DESS head Viktor Yelenskyi promised to create a model where there would be no one "humiliated and insulted, winners and losers, where everyone will stick to their own".