You're reading: Ukrainian clergy condemn FEMEN protest on Sophia Cathedral bell tower

Representatives of some Ukrainian churches have criticized the resent protest organized by the feminist organization FEMEN on the bell tower of the Kyiv Sophia Cathedral to protest a bill proposing a ban on abortions in Ukraine.

"No doubt, this organization’s act repulses me. At the same time, understand that there are forces that want faith, religion, and church be locked in temples, like they were under the Soviets, do not engage in any public activities, and do not offer any spiritual and moral values to society," Archbishop Evstratiy (Zorya), the head of the information department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, told Interfax.

Archbishop Evstratiy also said be believes FEMEN is "a commercial project, not a manifestation of civil society, a commercial project, not a project run from outside of Ukraine." "Essentially, it’s not a manifestation of Ukrainian society, it’s an intricate mockery," the clergyman said.

According to earlier reports, five FEMEN activists conducted a rally protesting a bill proposing a ban on abortions in Ukraine on the bell tower of the Kyiv Sophia cathedral on April 10. The topless women rang the bells and put up a 7 meters long placard with the word "STOP" on a black background.

The bill banning abortion, which was proposed by Andrei Skil, a member of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc – Batkivschyna faction of the Ukrainian parliament, was registered with Verkhovna Rada at the request of the clergy of the Greek Catholic Church and the Vatican on March 12.