Jerusalem hierarch urges Ukraine’s authorities to stop persecuting UOC

Archbishop Theodosios. Photo: traditia.md

The hierarch of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia, made a statement demanding the immediate cessation of the UOC persecution by the Ukrainian authorities.

Archbishop Theodosios wrote that "the persecution faced by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Ukrainian authorities has not stopped; in fact, it has intensified every day, accompanied by brutality, aggression and barbaric actions."

The hierarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate highlighted that all these actions are carried out with the support of the so-called "OCU", created to replace the sole canonical and legitimate Orthodox Church in Ukrainian land, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

Archbishop Theodosios noted that in Ukraine "the seizure of churches and property belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as attacks on bishops and clergy, continue unabated".

"The Ukrainian authorities continue to harshly persecute the oldest Church, which was established in Ukraine with the advent of Christianity," the hierarch stated.

He mentioned that "St. Michael’s Cathedral in the Cherkasy Eparchy has been seized recently, and the ruling hierarch was brutally beaten".

"We would like to repeatedly express our full solidarity and deep support for the sole canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine, led by Metropolitan Onuphry," the hierarch declared.

The bishop of the Jerusalem Church also wrote, "We resolutely condemn the actions against it by the Kyiv authorities, who act in collaboration with the newly established organization falsely and baselessly called the 'Orthodox Church of Ukraine'."

"We lift our prayers to the Lord, asking Him to protect and support the martyr Church, which bears witness to the truth in Ukraine, to strengthen its Primate, the metropolitans and all clergy, and to preserve the Ukrainian people and all churches in these lands devastated by war, for the cessation of which we fervently pray," stated Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia.

"How long will the persecution of this sister Church continue?! Attacks on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are directed at all Orthodox Churches in the world, and they must all make joint efforts to stop the aggressive actions and persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Archbishop Theodosios urged.

The hierarch again called on the UN, human rights and international organizations "to take responsibility and pay more attention to the persecution faced by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, showing respect for the ancient presence and history of this Church."

As the UOJ reported earlier, a hierarch of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church stated that Western political forces are complicit in the policy of destroying the UOC.

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