As reported, on September 3, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia issued a statement in which it expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The Synod of the OCCLS stated that democratic countries cannot adopt laws aimed at prohibiting the activities of religious organizations.
OCCLS hierarch withdraws signature from statement in support of UOC
The hierarch of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka) of the Olomouc-Brno Diocese, who previously concelebrated with representatives of the OCU, sent a letter in which he expressed his disagreement with the statement of the Holy Synod in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The hierarch said that he could not support the UOC in the case of its ban because he was not sure that the Church had severed ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. This is reported by the UOJ.
It is reported that Bishop Isaiah noted in his letter that he could not support the position of the Synod on Law No. 8371, which, in his opinion, was adopted legitimately and in accordance with democratic procedures. He emphasized that “Ukraine is a democratic state with an elected parliament” and that the law is directed against organizations that are somehow connected to or cooperate with the aggressor state.
In addition, the hierarch of the OCCLS expressed doubts that the UOC had really separated from the Moscow Patriarchate, since, according to him, the Russian Orthodox Church continues to consider Metropolitan Onufriy its bishop.
The bishop called for a speedy resolution of the church issue in Ukraine at the pan-Orthodox level to eliminate the existing jurisdictional contradictions. He emphasized that support for the UOC in its current form could be perceived as indirect support for Patriarch Kirill and the Moscow Patriarchate.
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