RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Public favor for new Ukrainian church grows

K.I.I.S. SURVEYS UKRAINIANS ABOUT ATTITUDE TOWARD PRINCIPAL CHURCHES OF UKRAINE AND THEIR HEADS

RISU, 6 July 2021

 

In the period of 25 to 28 June 2021, the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (K.I.I.S.) conducted a Ukraine-wide survey of public opinion regarding attitudes toward the principal churches of Ukraine. Using telephone interviews with computer assistance, on the basis of a random selection of mobile telephone numbers (using randomly generated telephone numbers and subsequent statistical weighting), 1,003 respondents were questioned, who live in all regions of Ukraine (except the autonomous republic of Crimea). The sample is representative of the adult population (18 years and older) of Ukraine. The selection did not include the territories that are temporarily not under the control of the Ukrainian government: Crimea and certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. In the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the survey was conducted only in territories controlled by the Ukrainian government.

 

Confessional structure of Ukrainian population

 

The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians (73%) continue to consider themselves Orthodox. Another 9% consider themselves Greek Catholics and 7%, atheists. Fewer respondents selected other variants of responses. Among those who consider themselves Orthodox, the majority (58%) consider themselves adherents of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This indicator grew in comparison with June of 2020 from 48% to 58%. Those who consider themselves as belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate constitute 25% (compared with 21.5% in June 2020). In addition, 12% of such respondents consider themselves simply Orthodox, without specifying the patriarchate (compared with 23% in June 2020).

 

As to attitude toward the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU), 52% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, 34% are neutral, and 9% are negative. At the same time, more have a positive attitude in comparison with June 2020; the indicator grew from 42% in June 2020 to 52% in June 2021.

 

At the same time, 24% of the population has a positive attitude toward the UPTs of the Moscow patriarchate (23% in June 2020), 37% are neutral (37% in June 2020), and 35% are negative (32% in June 2020).

 

Of the Ukrainian population, 36% have a positive attitude toward the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (35% in June 2020), 50% are neutral (46% in June 2020) and 7% are negative (6% in June 2020)

 

Attitude toward primates of the churches: Epifany, Onufry, Sviatoslav Shevchuk

 

Among the primates of the three largest churches of Ukraine, more respondents had a positive attitude regarding Epifany.

 

Toward Epifany, 45% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, 38% are neutral, and 6% are negative. At the same time, in comparison with June 2020, the number of those with a positive attitude has grown; the indicator grew from 34% in June 2020 to 45% in June 2021.

 

At the same time, 20% have a positive attitude toward Onufry (19% in June 2020), 39% are neutral (36.5% in June 2020), and 29% are negative (26% in June 2020).

 

Sviatoslav Shevchuk is viewed positively by 31% (27% in June 2020), neutrally by 42% (41% in June 2020) and negatively by 4% (5.5% in June 2020). (tr. by PDS, posted 6 July 2021)

 


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