Patriarch Kirill speaks about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

On December 20, 2024, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia delivered a report at a meeting of the clergy of the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, in which he paid considerable attention to the topic of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The First Hierarch noted the criminal cases against the hierarchs of the UOC, the ongoing seizure of churches and the aggressive policy of the Ukrainian government towards the canonical Church. His Holiness expressed regret that European leaders are not reacting in any way to the unprecedented persecution of the Church in Ukraine. The report is published on the website of the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“The Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues to be in a difficult situation. Persecution of clergy and laity in Ukraine is acquiring the features of total terror, which includes the closure and seizure by schismatics of churches and monasteries of the canonical Orthodox Church, reprisals against bishops, clerics, monastics and laity, as well as the blocking of information resources that reveal the truth about the persecution. Repressions are carried out against those who try to inform the international community about violations of religious freedom and are organized in such a way as to suppress any public testimony about religious persecution in Ukraine,” – the Patriarch noted.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church added that for more than six months certain hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been under criminal prosecution on spurious charges. Despite this, it is as if Europe does not notice the violation of basic human rights to freedom of speech and religion.

“For eight months now, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk, vicar of the Sviatogorsk Lavra, has been languishing in prison on false charges. On April 27, I notified the Primates of the Local Churches, heads of the largest religious communities, and heads of a number of international organizations of his arrest with my message. The consideration of slanderous criminal charges against Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Vicar of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev, Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol, Metropolitan Longin of Bunchensk, and a number of other clergymen who are subjected to repression only because they belong to the canonical Church, continues. And this in the center of Europe! Without any sign of any indignation on the part of those who have always been so concerned about human rights and religious freedoms!”, – the hierarch added.

The Patriarch said that throughout 2024 he informed the Primates of other Local Churches and religious associations about what is happening in Ukraine. In addition, the facts of violation of the rights of believers of the UOC are displayed in the reports of the largest European human rights organizations.

“Unfortunately, at present the situation with the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine is only getting worse. On August 24, I again addressed to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, a number of religious figures and representatives of international organizations with messages in which I reported on the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the law “On the protection of the constitutional order in the sphere of activities of religious organizations”, the actual purpose of which is the legislative ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Despite the unfavorable political conjuncture in the West and attempts to silence the religious persecution in Ukraine, the Primates of the brotherly Local Orthodox Churches, their Synods and individual archpastors, leaders of major world religious communities have repeatedly expressed their support for the persecuted Orthodoxy in Ukraine and condemned the persecution. The facts of violation of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and open violence against them are recognized in the reports of international human rights organizations. All of this, however, did not prevent politicians in Estonia from proposing the adoption of a similar law with regard to the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It is amazing: in countries that accept Western values concerning rights and religious freedom and human rights, people are being directly persecuted and oppressed in front of everyone, all over Europe, just because of their religious choice! Is this what can be said about this whole struggle for human rights? Remember with what force they unfolded when it came to our Fatherland? Nothing like this is happening now, when there, in the West, human rights are grossly violated and religious freedom is trampled,” – he said.

We will remind, earlier we reported that the Albanian Orthodox Church published a statement in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Albanian Orthodox Church criticized the legislative initiatives of the Ukrainian authorities to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in a period of difficult trials.