A joint resolution deploring the Soviet Government's active persecution of religious believers in Ukraine.
PL 100-305 (S.J.Res.235), enacted 05/02/1988

102 STAT. 452 
PUBLIC LAW 100-305—MAY 2, 1988 
Public Law 100-305 
100th Congress 
Joint Resolution 
May 2, 1988 
Deploring the Soviet Government's active persecution of religious believers in 
[S.J. Res. 235] 
Ukraine. 
Whereas 1988 marks the Millennium of the Christianity of Kievan 
Rus', adopted by Prince Volodymyr in a ceremony on the banks of 
the Dnieper River; 
Whereas today freedom of religion is a fundamental right which is 
explicitly guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the 
Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe; 
Whereas the Soviet Government has violated the Universal Declara-
tion of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human 
Rights, and the Final Act of the Conference on Security and 
Cooperation in Europe by engaging in the persecution of religious 
believers in the Soviet Union, including the systematic liquidation 
of the historic and national churches in Ukraine; 
Whereas the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic churches, 
both forcibly liquidated in the 1930's and 1940's, respectively, have 
remained outlawed while their clergy and laity have been mur-
dered, imprisoned, or exiled for their religious beliefs; 
Whereas, despite decades of severe persecution, Ukrainian Orthodox 
and Ukrainian Catholic believers to this day continue to practice 
their faiths clandestinely for fear of persecution by Soviet 
authorities; 
Whereas the Soviet Government has, in addition, sought to restrain 
and undermine the spiritual mission of the Evangelical Church in 
Ukraine, and has established restrictive legislation in direct con-
travention of the Biblical precepts that undergird the evangelical 
movement; 
Whereas many members of the Ukrainian Evangelical churches, in 
particular unregistered Baptist and Pentecostal congregations, 
are currently imprisoned and harassed for their faith; 
Whereas suspected clergy and lay members of the Ukrainian Ortho-
dox, Ukrainian Catholic, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches are 
victimized by job discrimination, their access to religious lit-
erature is restricted, and they are subject to various forms of 
harassment such as house searches, interrogations, and arbitrary 
arrests by Soviet authorities; 
Whereas, despite the Soviet government's policies of religious 
persecution in Ukraine, faith in God is widespread among Ukrain-
ians as evidenced by the underground Ukrainian Catholic move-
ment which embraces hundreds of priests headed by a number of 
secret bishops assisted by more than 1,000 religious women in 
orders; and 
Whereas Ukrainian Catholic catacomb bishops, priests, and laity 
have placed themselves in direct danger of persecution by appeal-
PUBLIC LAW 100-305—MAY 2, 1988 
102 STAT. 453 
ing to the Kremlin to end its prohibition of the Ukrainian Catho-
lic Church: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
Human rights. 
States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress of the 
United States deplores the Soviet Government's active persecution 
of religious believers in Ukraine, as well as the forcible liquidation 
of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches. 
SEC. 2. On the occasion of the Millennium of Christianity in 
Kievan Rus', the Congress of the United States— 
(1) discourages official participation by the Government of the 
United States in ceremonies of the Millennium in the Union of 
Soviet Socialist Republics, so long as individuals remain har-
assed and imprisoned for their religious beliefs, are denied 
access to religious literature and the opportunity to receive 
religious instruction, and the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrain-
ian Orthodox Churches remain outlawed; 
(2) sends its greetings to the Ukrainian people as they mark 
this solemn event in the history of the Ukrainian nation; 
(3) voices its concern for those Ukrainian religious believers 
who are persecuted for attempting to exercise their rights to 
religious worship; 
(4) urges the President of the United States, the Secretary of 
State, the United States delegation to the United Nations, the 
United States Delegation to the Vienna Review Meeting of the 
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to continue 
to speak out forcefully against violations of religious liberty 
throughout the Soviet Union and specifically in Ukraine during 
this anniversary year; 
(5) calls upon the Soviet Government to abide by the Univer-
sal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants 
on Human Rights, and the Final Act of the Conference on 
Security and Cooperation in Europe, and release all those 
imprisoned for their religious beliefs; and 
(6) urges, in observance of the Christian Millennium, the 
Soviet Government to legalize the Ukrainian Orthodox and 
Ukrainian Catholic Churches. 
Approved May 2, 1988. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S.J. Res. 235: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 134 (1988): 
Mar. 4, considered and passed Senate. 
Apr. 19, considered and passed House.