"On Behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church": A petition has been launched in the U.S. opposing the awarding of a prize from the Greek Archdiocese to Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A petition has been launched in the U.S. opposing the decision by St. Nicholas Church and the National Shrine of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to award Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the 2026 Beacon of Hope Award. The petition’s authors are calling on the organizers to reconsider the decision, pointing to allegations against the Ukrainian authorities regarding restrictions on political activity and actions taken against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

According to the Orthodox Reflections portal ( ), the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, had announced Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the recipient of the 2026 Beacon of Hope Award. The award ceremony is scheduled for September 26 at Casa Cipriani during the session of the UN General Assembly.

The petition is accompanied by a letter from Orthodox Christian Cassandra St. John, addressed to the church’s administration. The letter asserts that, in the authors’ view, Zelenskyy governs Ukraine “like a police state,” as elections have been suspended, critics have been silenced, and the media has been censored.

The letter also contains accusations against the Ukrainian authorities regarding the situation surrounding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The authors claim that more than 1,000 church properties have been “forcibly seized and repurposed,” and that clergy and believers have been subjected to beatings and arrests. On this basis, the petition’s initiators are calling on St. Nicholas Cathedral to revoke its decision to award the prize and select another recipient.

The petition describes Zelenskyy as a politician who “canceled elections, suppressed the political opposition, and carried out harsh repressions.” It also addresses the situation of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including allegations of persecution of its clergy and the forced mobilization of clergy into the Ukrainian army.

The authors of the appeal emphasize that many Orthodox believers in North America belong to jurisdictions where prayers are offered during the Liturgy for Metropolitan Onufry, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian people. In this regard, they describe the awarding of the honor to Zelenskyy as a “direct blow” to Orthodox jurisdictions that recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the canonical church structure in Ukraine.

According to published information, each signatory of the petition automatically sends an email containing its text to St. Nicholas Church, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, and the archons of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The final version of the appeal, with all signatures, must be submitted to these organizations before the September gala dinner. At the time of publication, the source notes, 262 people had signed the petition.

For its part, St. Nicholas Church stated that the Beacon of Hope Award is presented to “individuals whose lives and leadership reflect a steadfast spirit of courage, resilience, and moral clarity in the face of adversity.” The organizers’ statement emphasizes that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has inspired millions of people around the world with his “unwavering defense of freedom and human dignity.”