Ukrainians’ Attitude to the Single Local Church Creation
• According to the research carried out by the Sociological Group "Rating" in July 2017, 37% of the polled support the creation of the Single Local Church in Ukraine, 18% - stand against this initiative, 23% - state that they either feel indifferently regarding this question or have not decided on the answer at all.
• Compared to 2014, the number of those who stand for the association of the Churches has not changed in fact, while the number of the association opponents has decreased by one and a half times. At the same time, the number of those who do not have a clear position on this issue has grown.
• The greatest support for the creation of the Single Local Church is demonstrated by the representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) (66%) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC KP) (61%). Instead, among the parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UAC MP) the number of this idea’s opponents (42%) is higher as compared to the supporters (23%). At the same time, 36% of the UOC MP representatives either do not care about this issue or do not have an answer. Among other categories of the believers, those who do not have a clear position on such an initiative are dominating.
• The Churches’ association receives the largest support in the West (61%). In the Center, this idea is supported by 40%, not support by 17%, 43% - have no position. In the South, 24% stand for the creation of the United Church, against - 25%, others - either indifferent (33%) or hesitate to answer (19%). In the East, this idea is supported by 11% of the respondents, 20% stand against, 40% - were unable to provide an answer, 29% - expressed indifference.
• The idea of the churches’ association is more supported by the older respondents, women, those with higher education and income.
• Two-thirds of those who support the idea of association stand for the creation of the Single Local Church on the basis of the UOC KP, 16% - on the basis of the UGCC, and 7% - UOC MP.
• The vast majority of the UOC KP and the UGCC parishioners would like to see the association based on their churches. Instead, within the UOC MP representatives, only somewhat more than half stands for the association based on the UOC MP, a quarter - for the association on the basis of the UOC KP. Among the believers who do not attribute themselves to any of the confessions, two-thirds support the association on the basis of the UOC KP.
• Compared to 2014, the number of the parishioners of the UOC KP and the UGCC almost has not increased. Instead, the number of the UOC MP supporters has reduced (from 22% to 17%). At the same time, the number of those who consider themselves as believers but with no relation to any of the confessions has increased (from 24% to 31%).
• The highest number of the UOC KP representatives is recorded in the West, Center, and South, the lowest - in the East. The main basis of the UGCC - in the West, the UOC MP - in the East.
Respondents: residents of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The sample is representative in terms of age, gender, region, and place of residence. Total sample: 2000 respondents. Personal formalized interview (face-to-face). The margin of error does not exceed 2,2%. Period of the survey: 8-16 July 2017
