The authorities in Kiev are committing lawlessness against the canonical UOC and its priests, - Metropolitan Neophytos of Morpha

The hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphi, has assessed the actions of the Ukrainian authorities towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The hierarch called the persecution of the UOC lawlessness. This is reported by TASS.

«When I read [the news] and see what is happening in Ukraine, I realize that something terrible is going on, lawlessness is being committed, and it is at times like these that the humanity of Christ is especially manifest. He sends a virtuous and obedient bishop (Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine — ed.) to each local Orthodox Church undergoing severe trials», — the hierarch said.

Metropolitan Neophytos noted that the only Orthodox hierarch in Ukraine for him remains His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, and the OCU is a problem for the entire Orthodox world.

«I have a consistent position regarding the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. For me there is only one bishop — Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kiev, whom we respect as an ascetic man. Everything that is happening to the so-called Orthodox Autocephalous Church under the leadership of Epiphanius is a very, very great injustice that will soon manifest itself in all parts of the earth», — Metropolitan Neophytos said.

It is worth noting that representatives of local churches quite often speak out in defense of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Earlier we reported that Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia (Patriarchate of Jerusalem) said that he had joined the International Association of Human Rights Defenders and Religious Workers «Church against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination», designed to protect the rights of believers around the world, including in Ukraine.