Is the church critical infrastructure? A political scientist explains what truly lies behind the reservation of priests.

The reservation of clergy by the church continues to raise many questions among people, particularly: can the authorities really cancel it? And how can this be explained at the legislative level, considering that the church is not a critical infrastructure?

As noted in a comment to "Telegraph" by Ukrainian political scientist Alexey Golobutsky, it is quite possible that the authorities made this decision now to shift public attention.

According to him, the decision regarding the reservation of priests was made by the Cabinet of Ministers. However, it may carry much more significance than it appears at first glance, and it is not about the church's influence on society. Currently, Ukrainians are in a state where the church is not their top priority, so this decision is unlikely to cause a major uproar. Still, there will be a certain reaction, according to Golobutsky, since the decision was not made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"This decision may be purely lobbyist, simply built, so to speak, like everything in our closed politics, on the relationships of certain individuals with church oligarchs, church infrastructure, and everything else. Ultimately, this is a responsibility that lies with the authorities. And perhaps the positive effect in society even depends on this," – says the political scientist.

He adds that the issue of mobilizing priests is a sensitive one for Ukrainians, but not as pressing as the call for women or 18-year-olds. However, the future of the clergy may, to some extent, depend on society, as the authorities consider the public's reaction and will draw conclusions.

"If they see in the sociology that this is unpopular, they might say that everyone with a beard longer than 10 cm should be conscripted into the army," – says Golobutsky.

He explains that priests are involved in the war in any part of Ukraine, as they conduct funeral services for deceased soldiers. It is clear that the risks to life here are different than those on the front lines and in the trenches.

"Right now, I just can't understand why the priests were reserved. How will they (the authorities — Ed.) explain that the church has become critical infrastructure or a critical sector of the economy, life, and so on. How will the authorities get out of this?" – asks the political scientist.

When asked by the correspondent which specific churches will be granted the right to reservation and whether this will affect the Moscow Patriarchate, Golobutsky responded: "These are just details. Yes, we are talking about tens of thousands of people, but it is unlikely there will be a division between Moscow and Ukrainian priests."

According to the political scientist, it is unclear how the authorities arrived at the decision to reserve priests; however, it is quite likely that someone from the top initiated this decision.

"We are living in very challenging times, and our society is divided, meaning there is an urbanized part, a city, and a rural one. There are those who will react negatively, while there is a segment that, during a religious procession, is prostrating on the church floor and so on, will perceive this positively. It is very difficult to answer for whom this is done right now. Are they distracting Ukrainians? I don't understand what can be distracting when everything is visible to the people," adds Golobutsky.

Previously, "Telegraph" reported why the Cabinet does not approve the list of critical enterprises. Who ultimately grants the reservation.