| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Archbishop Theophan of Korea: Russian churches in Korea can become bridges of friendship with Russia Orthodoxy in Korea dates back to the late 19th century, when the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Korea was established by decision of the Synod. Archbishop Theophan of Korea (in the world, Alexei Illarionovich Kim), an honorary citizen of Seoul (2006) and the first ethnic Korean to become an Orthodox bishop, spoke about how parishes are developing in South Korea, especially in the context of the Ukrainian events, in an interview with a RIA Novosti correspondent. - How did the clergy and laity in the diocese feel about the news of the arrest of Metropolitan Pavel, the Abbot of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra? How does everyone feel about the persecution of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian authorities, persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church? - The persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the connivance, and sometimes with the participation, of the authorities began in Ukraine quite some time ago. Not the least role in this was played by the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which interfered in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church by supporting a schismatic group in Ukraine. In favour of this schismatic group, created by the Ukrainian authorities and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the authorities have taken away churches and expelled priests fr om those churches which the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church built and in which they prayed. These persecutions have affected, of course, not only the Abbot of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, but also a large part of the episcopate, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There were mass illegal seizures of churches, beatings of clergy, arrests of bishops on spurious pretexts. We warmly empathise with those who have suffered from slander, beatings, seizures of churches and pray that this turmoil will end soon and that the state will stop persecuting its own citizens on religious grounds. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy A number of hierarchs of Local Orthodox Churches announced the creation of an international human rights association DECR Communication Service, 29.12.2023. The international human rights association " The Church against xenophobia and religious discrimination " was established by a number of hierarchs and clergymen of Local Orthodox Churches together with the non-governmental organisations " Public Advocacy " , " VSI Zmogaus teisiu apsauga " and " European institute for religion and law " which all have a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The corresponding agreement was signed on 19 December 2023, according to a press release issued by the Geneva Press Club. The creation of a new human rights association was a response to violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The coordinating council of the new human rights association included: Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav (Ukrainian Orthodox Church); Metropolitan Timothy of Bostra (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem); Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem); Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany (Russian Orthodox Church Abroad); Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech (Bulgarian Orthodox Church); Archpriest Demetrius Sidor, rector of the Holy Cross Cathedral in Uzhgorod (Ukrainian Orthodox Church). According to the press release, " religious leaders and human rights activists called on the Ukrainian authorities and President Zelensky to stop violations of the rights of the UOC believers and addressed the UN special mandate holders, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Council with statements about the facts of violations of the rights of this organization " . |
| Head of UOC Representation to European International Organizations: Bill No. 5309 Shows Apparent Disregard for European Legal Values Source: DECR Interview given by Bishop Victor of Barushevka, head of the UOC representation to European international organizations, to the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. – Your Eminence, in recent days, voices have been heard from various resources about a danger for the parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, considering that the Ukrainian Supreme Rada has adopted Bill No. 5305 providing for a change in the names of our Church’s religious organizations. What can you say about this? – I would like to note that actually the adopted Bill No. 5309 applies only to the religious organizations having governing center located in the state recognized by law as a state that has carried out a military aggression against Ukraine and has temporarily occupied the territory of Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is subject to the governing center located in Kiev. For this reason, this law does not apply to our organization. – Yes, but perhaps the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and other state bodies will see it otherwise. In this case, what the religious organizations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are to expect? – We understand that in this particular historical period, certain political forces, which are in power in Ukraine today, have chosen to put pressure upon our confession. That is why we are called to defend people’s rights against the arbitrariness of power bodies. If public servants interpret this law arbitrarily and demand that the names of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s communities should be changed, then our religious organizations will have the right to challenge the actions of such public servants or state bodies in court, and this means that lawsuits will continue in Ukraine. – What are the prospects of such disputes, in your view? – From the legal point of view, there are prospects as, indeed, even the Ukrainian Supreme Rada chief office of scientific expertise has made a negative assessment of this bill and recommended that it should be declined. |
| Persecution, Church Seizures, and Vandalism Ramp up in Pat. Bartholomew’s Post-Tomos Ukraine Source: OrthoChristian Ukraine, January 15, 2019 – Whereas the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church was experiencing intimidation before, the state authorities have now moved into repressions against the Church, says His Eminence Archbishop Theodosy of Boyarka . Since the creation of a new nationalist structure at the “unification council” on December 15 and the granting of a tomos of autocephaly by Patriarch Bartholomew to “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko on January 6, the canonical Ukrainian Church has experienced increased persecution from the state and nationalist-schismatics. The community of the St. Alexander Nevsky Church in Vinnitsa, located on the territory of a higher professional school, was suddenly forced to evacuate the premises after 13 years and take all their belongings, including the dome on the roof. Several Ukrainian outlets subsequently reported that the priest had destroyed and even set fire to the church in protest of some parishioners supporting the new nationalist church, though the Vinnitsa Diocese refuted this lie. The priest and community of a 340-year-old church in the village of Vorsovka have been locked out of their church, after the warden and candle stand worker at the church collected signatures from throughout the village, whether parishioners or not, to move the parish to the nationalist church. The schismatics had previously tried to demand that the rector, Fr. Basil, stop commemorating His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in the services. Fr. Basil was also hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis. Despite a meeting being called by supporters of the schismatic church to try to force the local church to transfer to the schismatic structure, the residents of the village of Dunaets in the Sumy Province voted almost unanimously to keep their St. George Church in the canonical Church. In the Uman Diocese , the Church of She Who is Quick to Hear was vandalized with graffiti reading “ROC FSB? [Russian Orthodox Church-Federal Security Service of Russia].” |
| Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, discussed the actions of Constantinople, Church schisms, enduring persecution and ties with Ukraine, and answered questions on what can unite believers today, what challenges mankind faces, and other questions. – Vladyka, how are the actions of the Constantinople Patriarch in receiving schismatics and claiming power over the whole Church viewed from abroad? – We are very sad and bewildered as we observe the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, in which we sense the influence of the powers that be in this world, and a dismissive attitude towards the truth of Orthodox Christianity in the land of Ukraine, which is holy for us. Astonishing, too, is the complete absence of a pastoral approach to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. For by “legalizing” schismatics and trying in every way to obtain their recognition by the Local Orthodox Churches, Patriarch Bartholomew in fact expels not only the overwhelming majority of our brother archpastors, clergy, monastics and laypersons of Ukraine who are dedicated to the Holy Church, but all of us as well. It is unclear why Patriarch Bartholomew and his Holy Synod hastened to make such a rash decision, without the counsel of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Local Orthodox Churches. The decision to rescind a three-hundred-year-old document, and efforts to justify their intrusion into the territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church appear at minimum clumsy and irresponsible. Still, we try to pray for them and those around them, that the Lord may grant them wisdom, illuminate and have mercy upon them, even as we beseech Heavenly aid to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry and the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the sole canonical Church of Christ on the Ukrainian territory. |
| Ukrainian military are pressuring Donbas Orthodox Christians – Metropolitan Onufry Source: Interfax-religion The men insulted the priest, asked how much money he was sending to Moscow, and accused him of assisting bandits. The men also searched the priest " s residence and demanded that he leave the territory of Ukraine within two days and give them the documents for the church along with a contract for the entire church property, the report says. Natalya Mihailova 05 August 2014 Moscow, August 4, Interfax - Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, the locum tenens of the Kiev Metropolia, has accused the Ukrainian military of pressuring Orthodox Christians in Donbass. “I have to state violations of the rights and freedoms of believers and interference in the work of parishes of the Donetsk Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the militant contingent in eastern Ukraine,” the metropolitan said in his address to Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko released by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church press service. Metropolitan Onufry asked the president to “personally intervene in this situation and do everything possible to prevent such actions by the military from occurring again.” He said that Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol had reported to him violations of believers’ rights and freedoms and interference in the work of the parishes of the Donetsk Diocese. Specifically, he mentioned an incident that occurred in the village of Krasnoarmeyskoye, Donetsk Region, on July 30, when a car carrying armed men arrived at the residence of Igor Sergienko, the father superior of the Church of Alexander Nevsky. The men insulted the priest, asked how much money he was sending to Moscow, and accused him of assisting bandits. The men also searched the priest’s residence and demanded that he leave the territory of Ukraine within two days and give them the documents for the church along with a contract for the entire church property, the report says. Metropolitan Onufry said a similar thing happened to Archpriest Yevgeny Podgorny, dean of the Amvrosiyevka District, on July 30. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Address of the DECR chairman Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk at the meeting of the UN Security Council On January 17, 2023, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, delivered an on-line address at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Dear Mr. Chairman: I thank you for the opportunity to address this distinguished gathering. The Russian Orthodox Church on her own and in cooperation with other Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant confessions and representatives of world traditional religions is taking part within the realm of possibility in defending the rights of religious believers all over the world, and Christians in particular. At present we have grave concerns about the flagrant violation of human and constitutional rights of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. It is difficult to overestimate peacemaking potential of Church and religion in interstate and civil conflicts. Orthodox Christianity has been a common spiritual and cultural basis of the life of people in Russia and Ukraine for many centuries and could help restore mutual understanding in future. Yet, the very basis of such dialogue is being undermined in Ukraine right now by the Ukrainian authorities’ attempts to destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which is not a political, but religious organization uniting over 12,000 communities and millions of Ukrainian citizens. On December 1, 2022, the Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council took a decision which in actual fact restricts the rights of communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The executive body issued instructions: – to draft a bill “on the impossibility of activities in Ukraine of religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia.” Actually, this means the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, though her governing centre is in Kiev and not in Moscow and she is independent of the Russian Orthodox Church in its administration; |
| The Holy Synod noted the deterioration of the situation in world Orthodoxy and called a Pan-Orthodox Council discussion the only way out of the current crisis. Photo: UOC On December 6, 2019, the last session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church took place in the residence of the Primate of the UOC in the territory of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Having discussed the latest developments in the sphere of inter-Orthodox relations, the Synod made an official statement, the text of which was published on the UOC DECR website. In the Statement, the Synod of the UOC noted that the crisis resulting from the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine is not a problem of bilateral relations between the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow and concerns all Local Orthodox Churches, as it “destroys the very foundations of the life and mission of the Church of Christ”. In this regard, the Holy Synod welcomed the initiative of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine to convene a Pan-Orthodox Council in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since it considers the Pan-Orthodox Council discussion to be the only way out of the current crisis. The UOJ publishes the full text of the Statement of the Holy Synod of the UOC. STATEMENT OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH December 6, 2019 The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, after careful deliberation of the recent developments in the sphere of inter-Orthodox relations, makes the following statement: 1. We are compelled to declare that due to the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine, and also in connection with the actions perpetrated by the Primates of the Greek and Alexandrian Orthodox Churches, namely by their entering into Eucharistic communion with the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, the situation in Orthodox Christianity has grown worse not only at the administrative but also at the spiritual level – that is, on the level of ecclesial communion in the Holy Sacraments. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy and Kanev: the truth on the situation of the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is entering Western society DECR Communication Service, 01.02.2024. On the 29th of January 2024, the human rights organisation " Public Advocacy " , which is a member of the International Human Rights Association " Church against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination " published some international documents indicating that an investigation into the facts of violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been launched on the international level. In particular, a joint request - communication on violations of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Minorities, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association was made public. The content of the official response to that request by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN and other international organisations has also become known. As a result of their consideration of the array of evidence and facts, the authors of the joint enquiry listed facts which they had found concerning. Among them were criminal prosecution of a number of hierarchs, including the sentence already passed on Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn and Bratslav, personal sanctions against Bishops, cancellation of the agreement for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to use the premises of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra as a monastery on a free-of-charge basis, searches in several monastic monasteries, educational institutions and other premises of the UOC in Kiev, Rovno, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankovsk, Chernovtsi, Dnepropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Volyn, Kherson, Ternopol, Poltava and Transcarpathian regions, a marked increase in incidents of hate speech and calls to violence against Ukrainian Orthodox Church believers, with several city and regional councils also banning " UOC activities " in their areas. |
| Accept The site uses cookies to help show you the most up-to-date information. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of your Metadata and cookies. Cookie policy UOC Chancellor believes that conciliar church wisdom should give assessment for Patriarch Bartholomew’s actions Having come to Ukraine, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople refused to talk with thousands of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church meeting him at the building of Verhovna Rada in Kiev. During this visit which threatens to overgrow with conflicts and to exacerbate the church conflict in that country further, chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary spoke with Ria Novosti about what developments the canonical Church could expect and what could be done to meet them; how the UOC assesses the current situation; if the Local Churches are ready to defend the purity of the faith and whether it is necessary for them to continue the dialogue in the “Amman format”. – Vladyka Anthony, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has arrived in Kiev on the occasion of the Independence Day of Ukraine; and there were talks about Pope Francis coming too. What do the followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church think about the visit of these religious leaders? Is the refusal of your clergy to participate in the events around Bartholomew’s visit still in force? – Judging by what state officials say, Pope Francis’ visit to Ukraine is unlikely to happen, because nothing was said about preparations for it. As for the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew, it was announced several months ago. Many experts predict that this event would accelerate the aggravation of religious situation in the country. This visit and reception of the Phanar’s head on the highest political level could be taken by the followers and supporters of the “OCU” as a signal in support of their efforts for the weakening of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which might provoke a new wave of raider attacks on the communities and parishes of the canonical Church. In this context, we announced that we would not be able to take part in a pre-planned event in the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev if the delegation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople were present there, because none other but the Phanar and its head were responsible for the violation of the rights of the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. How can one share presence with those whose decisions have brought so many troubles, so much suffering and evil to people who just wanted to preserve intact the faith of their grandfathers and grand-grandfathers? |
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