Persecutors are afraid of international publicity and reaction of Primates of other Local Churches, - Metropolitan Jonathan

Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeleckykh) of Tulchyn and Bratslav, who was released from custody in Ukraine and exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia, commented on the situation with the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the possible consequences of the adoption of the anti-church law. The hierarch believes that the UOC may eventually be completely banned. The Metropolitan’s interview is published by Patriarchy.ru.

“I think the pressure on the Church will increase. But the persecutors are still afraid of international publicity, afraid of the reaction of the Primates and bishops of other Local Orthodox Churches, protests of international organizations. They are very much hindered by criticism from Western politicians, especially American ones. Therefore, criminal cases against the bishops are being delayed. Our archpastors are simply kept for months under house arrest or in a pre-trial detention center: they are pressured, prevented from having lawyers, and hindered in their diocesan administration. I am not talking about ordinary clergy: they are treated much worse. Our Orthodox journalists are arrested just for publishing news about violent seizures of churches, for example. If you do not consider the beating of believers to be their “voluntary transfer to the autocephalous church,” then in Ukraine you are already a criminal, and the jail is crying for you,” — said Metropolitan Jonathan.

The hierarch added that, despite the difficult conditions, Ukrainian bishops continue human rights activities and defend the rights of UOC believers at the international level.

“Conditions in Ukrainian prisons are difficult, especially for the sick and elderly. Metropolitan Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv Cave Monastery, spent about a month in jail, but his health was catastrophically damaged: he suffered a heart attack and was treated. To get him out of prison, believers from all over Ukraine raised and paid a huge bail for Ukraine — almost a million dollars. And yet, he remains under house arrest. Metropolitan Arseny, the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, has remained in jail since April. Metropolitans Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, and Pavlo of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl remain under house arrest or recognizance not to leave. A criminal case has been opened against Metropolitan Yevlogy of Sumy and Okhtyrka for his sermons. Metropolitan Theodosius continues to carry out human rights activities from under arrest, even making several remote reports to the UN on the situation of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. SBU officers forbade him to do so, exerted pressure on him, searched him five times and took away his means of communication. They tried to get him taken into custody to silence him, but the court has not yet decided to do so,” — the bishop added.

Earlier we reported that the 75-year-old hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jonathan (Yelecky) of Tulchyn and Bratslav, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison, was released from custody. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia personally petitioned for the bishop’s release.