State Dept on persecutions of UOC: Not aware, happy to check in

Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department Vedant Patel. Photo: Vedant Patel's Twitter page

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said that he had no information about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian authorities. He said this during a press briefing, the MQR HUB reports .

Patel noted that the US State Department would check this information and "return" to reporters with a new commentary.

“I have not seen those reports, so I can't speak to them. We are happy to check in,” he said.

The publication also writes that in recent weeks, "there has been an increase in the number of attacks on parishioners and attempts to seize churches belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine across the country."

Tensions between Kyiv and the canonical UOC escalated after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

"Some local authorities in Ukraine have banned the activities of the UOC due to its alleged ties with Moscow, and a bill was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament to outright ban the Church in the country. In addition, sanctions have been imposed on some members of the UOC clergy," notes the MQR HUB.

It will be reminded that the OCU was established on the basis of two schismatic organizations in late 2018. In 2019, the Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized this "church" and granted the OCU a “tomos of autocephaly”, which resulted in the severed communion between Constantinople and Moscow.

As reported by the UOJ, the ROCOR in America entreated the US authorities to protect the UOC.

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