KYIV. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine signed an Agreement of Cooperation

On August 26, at the Synodal Hall of the Kyiv Metropolis an agreement on cooperation between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the State penitentiary service of Ukraine was signed.

Signing the document on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine and on behalf of the Ukrainian State Penitentiary Service – its chairman, Lieutenant General Alexander Lisitskov.

Before the act of signing the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church addressed the audience.

“This agreement is important for it concerns the problems of our society, which we have to solve together. I think that today’s meeting has even greater emphasized the importance and responsibility of this challenging ministry. May the Lord help us to do good to people”, he said.

At the end the sides exchanged gifts.

Note that today the renewed agreement was signed, for the previous one was signed 10 years ago with the former State Department of Corrections. The new agreement comes to enhancing cooperation between the Church and the Penitentiary Service of Ukraine and stated the priorities of cooperation. The new agreement meets the realities of today and aims to help the priests who perform pastoral ministry in prisons, to work productively for the sake of spiritual benefit.

REFERENCE. Now in penal institutions there are 123 religious worship buildings, including:

73 – churches;

46 – chapels;

4 – houses of prayer;

202 – prayer rooms;

17 – prayer corners.

The total number of believers convicts regularly attending religious events is 37 976.

The spiritual and educational work with convicts is conducted by 2,349 clergymen and volunteers, representing 103 different religious organizations, community organizations and churches officially registered in Ukraine.

During the first half of 2011 in penitentiary institutions of the State Service of Ukraine the two religious buildings were built and consecrated:

The Church of the Holy Righteous Varsonofiy of Kherson in the penal colony (№ 61) of Kherson;

The Church of Sts Peter and Paul in Raykivskiy penal colony (№ 73).

Characteristic feature of today was the restoration of historical justice in the matters of revival of Orthodox churches that are located in the institutions of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

Thus, on March 2, 2011, a solemn transfer of the church building of the Hieromartyr Harlampius of Shostka Penitentiary settlement of the administration of the State Department in Sumy region (№ 66) to the Konotop diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Today in prisons and detention centers of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine under process of construction are 23 buildings of religious worship (temples, churches, chapels).

By the number of prisoners who consistently attend religious activities, the most numerous are the adherents of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which operates in 175 offices (the number of adherents among the prisoners is 18 720 persons).

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