Commission for Public Morality must act as a sensitive mother, “politely, but decisively”

“I do not know how much authority this commission holds (National Expert Commission for Public Morality of Ukraine – aut.), but as a state institution it is obliged to pay special attention to things that, from a moral point of view, can be harmful to the state or society. This does not need to be a police institution, but rather a structure that draws the attention of society and authority towards morally unhealthy things. For example, if sport celebrities are advertising alcohol in places where there are lots of children, it is a small wonder that those children will begin to drink,” explained His Beatitude Lubomyr, Head of the UGCC, in an interview with the newspaper “Levyj Bereh,” answering questions about his thoughts on the activities of the Commission. The Head of the UGCC also said that the Commission for Public Morality must act as a sensitive mother, “politely, but decisively” towards its children. “Let’s take for example, all these games. It is horrible how much time and money people waste gambling on slot machines, at casinos, on computers and they get wrapped up in this lifestyle. This is where the activity of the commission comes in – authoritatively, calmly, without judgment – and informs people ‘It is dangerous! Be careful!’ Its activity is as important as the work of Human Rights Commission representative Nina Karpachova. It is important that these organizations remain active and effective, that they do not become extreme or lose their ambition, otherwise they will lose credibility,” further explained the Head of the UGCC. Let us remember that the All Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, of which the UGCC is a member, along with the National Expert Commission for Public Morality of Ukraine, signed a joint declaration on December 16, 2008, to the state, to public organizations, to mass media and to all citizens of Ukraine, stating their concern about the current state of public morality. A line from the document reads: “Such a complicated situation forces us to join together: the churches and other religious organizations, state institutions and civil society, all those that feel a responsibility towards the moral status of nation. We need to collectively look for unique solutions to improve the situation.” The document also states that: “In a country were the government and spiritual authority have a joint goal to foster a high level of morality, there is a steady increase in general welfare, military power and international authority. However, as soon as there is a lack of discipline, disrespect and ethics are ignored as a norm, there is a breakdown in society.”

Information Department of the UGCC