Archpriest Nicholas Balashov: Our whole Church is called today to pray that the UOC will endure in this difficult time for it

Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, deputy head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s OVCS, commented on the bill to ban the UOC, voted in the first reading on October 19, 2023 in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

«What is the essence of the bill under consideration? If passed, it allows for a judicial ban of any Ukrainian religious organization that is ‘affiliated with the centers of influence’ of any religious organization whose governing center is in Russia. The law does not clearly establish the meaning of this «affiliation», but gives the State Service of Ukraine for Freedom of Conscience and Ethnopolitics (headed by the ardent Russophobe and hater of Orthodoxy V. Elensky) the right to conduct a «religious expertise» on the basis of which, according to unknown criteria, a decision will be made to «identify subordination in canonical and organizational matters» to those very «centers of influence» outside of Ukraine», — Archpriest Nicholas noted.

He added that «no one hides that the bill is being considered for the sole purpose of intimidating the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the threat of «closure». And those bishops and priests who want to «survive» — to force them to move to the «correct» religious organization, which is acceptable to Zelensky».

«But it is impossible to destroy the Church. Especially — the largest Church in the country-heir to the Baptism of St. Prince Vladimir. St. John Chrysostom prophetically said: «There is nothing stronger than the Church of Christ. Whoever wants to fight with her, he will inevitably perish, it is like waging war against Heaven», — reminded the clergyman.

According to Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, «the faithful of the Church and those who are now under the power of the God-fighters will face hard times.»

«I am convinced: our entire Church, every bishop, every priest, every priest, every monk and every layman are called today to pray from the bottom of our hearts that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will endure in this critically difficult time. And we will pray. God give strength to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, to all Orthodox bishops of Ukraine, especially those who are languishing under arrest, to all the clergy, to all the faithful», — the priest emphasized.