The Problem of Restitution of Religious Buildings and Property of the Roman and Catholic Church in Independent Ukraine

The article is devoted to the problem of returning of the religious buildings of the Roman and Catholic Church in Ukraine which was illegally alienated by the Soviet government. The goal of this article is to comprehensively analyze the issue of restitution of the Roman and Catholic Churches' property in Ukraine. The task of this article is to identify the ways and the mechanisms according to which the religious buildings and property could be returned to the RCC in contemporary legal and political situation. For the purpose of the study, a comparative-historical method was used, as well as the method of analysis, systematization and generalization. The results of restitution of religious buildings and property of the Roman and Catholic Church in Ukraine are outlined and analyzed. The author identified the problems that slow down the process of restitution, which negatively affect the harmonization of inter-denominational and state-church relations, and in some cases even make it impossible. The author recognizes the positive changes in the relationships between the state and the church. Such changes can be illustrated with numerous cases of restituted buildings all over Ukraine. At the same time, the author also scrutinizes the unsuccessful cases, where the attempts to reclaim the religious property failed. The newly implemented legal norms often lack the effective mechanisms for their practical realization. The absence of the principles and the procedures of the religious property restitution leads to the disputes between religious organizations, which may escalate into acute opposition. Therefore, the process of religious property restitution must become the object of the thorough state policy, which, in turn, will promote the harmonious development of state-church relations.