Concept of development of the Church-State relations in the field of social policy

Project of the Synodal Department for Charity and Social Ministry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

1. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as the largest religious community of Ukraine and unalienable part of the Ukrainian society cannot stand apart from the urgent problems of people’s lives and of the society on the whole.

“Fulfilling the mission of the salvation of the human race, the Church performs it not only through direct preaching, but also through good works aimed to improve the spiritual-moral and material condition of the world around her. To this end, she enters into co-operation with the state, even if it is not Christian, as well as with various public associations and individuals, even if they do not identify themselves with the Christian faith” (Bases of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church І.4).

“…the Church hopes that joint charity will lead its workers and people around them to the knowledge of the Truth, help them to preserve or restore faithfulness to the God-given moral norms and inspire them to seek peace, harmony and well-being – the conditions in which the Church can best fulfill her salvific work” (Bases of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church І.4).

The Church emphasizes that the material progress and welfare should not be regarded as self-sufficing and ultimate aims of human activity, but simply as means of a comprehensive, first of all spiritual development of man and society, whose preliminary condition is satisfaction of the basic vital needs of man.

Proceeding from the aforesaid and grounding on the historical experience of social ministry, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church sees development of the church-state relations inconstant cooperation, joint arrangements and specific particular kinds of activity concerning the following tasks:

– overcoming poverty;
– support of vulnerable segments of the population;
– care for protection of the aged people;
– childhood protection;
– socialization and upbringing of youth;
– protection of the family and the family values;
– development of the spiritual moral principles of the society;
– formation of the social policy.

2. The support of the state and creation of the conditions under which the Church could have possibility to carry out charitable activity and social initiatives for the benefit of the entire society will facilitate the solution of the tasks mentioned and development of the church-state relations. One of such conditions is enhancement of financial capacity of church charity and social work.

The experience existing by now suggests the following possible steps in this direction:

– legislative regulation of the order of obtainment of the state costs for carrying out the projects, arrangements and certain kinds of social activity by church communities and organizations;
– introduction of significant tax relief for the entities which carry out entrepreneurial activities, for organizations and enterprises providing material and technical assistance to charitable organizations and social arrangements of the Church, corresponding to aims and tasks of the state social policy;
– introduction of alternative taxation of physical entities for the benefit of the Church by the taxpayer’s choice.

In particular, establishment of the National Day of Mercy in Ukraine for carrying out charitable actions and alms collection for the benefit of the needy.

Furthering enhancement of the material resources of the Church and improvement of the conditions of social activity of the Church will also be the following:

– regulation at the legislative level and support of work of the church charitable foundations (funds) of mutual aid and voluntary pension assets;
– establishment and arrangement of the social charitable centers (refectories, asylums, elderly homes, children orphanages etc) on condition of their further keeping and providing assistance in the latter with the resources of the church communities and organizations.

3. The Church will consign accumulated resources and facilities available for assistance to elderly people, invalids, incurable patients, overcoming orphanhood, support and development of children’s homes, especially of the family type, prevention of juvenile delinquency and homelessness, spiritual and social support of people, first of all children and youth, staying in the places of confinement, correction establishments, under surveillance of law-enforcement agencies.

4. The Church considers joint activity on spiritual-moral upbringing and socialization of youth to be a priority in relations with the state, in particular:

– youth engagement into rendering social and charitable assistance to the needy, work in asylums, hospitals, disabled persons homes, elderly people’s homes, social centers etc.;
– support of the youth social voluntary movement (social volunteering), youth organizations of social purpose;
– legal regulation and expansion of the practice of the alternative military service, namely in the social, medical and other institutions for helping the needy, involvement of spiritual instructors (chaplains), pedagogues and social workers with respective professional training into such service.
With the same view we believe worthwhile the professional study and public discussion of the issue of introduction in Ukraine of the general civil social service for youth analogous to military duty.

5. The development of the social initiatives of the Church and its cooperation with the state in the field of social policy requires professional qualification of spiritual pastors and the co-workers of the Church in the social filed and in the issues of social work.

In this connection we consider advisable:

– engaging the respective educational establishment and specialists in elaboration and teaching the course of social work for the students of theological schools;
– introducting the state academic-advisory training for the representatives of the Church and the church charitable organizations on the issues of social policy, legislation and organization of the social projects and activity in the social sphere.

6. The Church also considers it important to have opportunities and to further formation of the ethical principles of social work, education and spiritual-moral support of the social workers.

7. An important element of the church-state relations should be cooperation in formation of the social policy, in particular:

– elaboration of the state’s special-purpose programs and national projects;
– participation of the Church’s representatives in the work of supervisory, expert and public councils of the state agencies and the social protection establishments;
– conducting common academic research, educational and other arrangements.

16.06.2010,
Holy-Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

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