Vadim Novinsky Told Tucker Carlson About Persecution of the UOC in Ukraine

During a conversation with well-known American journalist Tucker Carlson, protodeacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and former member of the Ukrainian Parliament Vadim Novinsky spoke about unprecedented levels of discrimination that, according to him, the Church is experiencing in Ukraine. In particular, he drew attention to the violent seizures of churches, which he claims have become a daily occurrence. This was discussed during a live broadcast on Tucker Carlson’s channel.

“Every day, churches are seized by armed people who break in, drive out priests, beat believers, elderly people, women, priests,” Father Vadim said, emphasizing that such incidents happen all over the country. In his opinion, there are “countless attempts to seize churches” that have become part of the everyday religious life of UOC believers.

He also pointed out the systematic nature of pressure against church hierarchs. Novinsky noted that fabricated criminal cases are being opened against bishops, which he sees as part of a targeted campaign.

“Our hierarchs are being persecuted. Fabricated criminal cases are being brought against them,” he said.

Among those affected by these repressions, Father Vadim mentioned Metropolitan Arseny of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, who, according to him, is held in prison “on completely false charges.” He also named Metropolitans Theodosiy, Luka, and Antoniy, who are currently under house arrest.

There was a separate mention of Metropolitan Longin, known for his charitable work – a shelter for hundreds of disabled children operates at his monastery. Novinsky emphasized, “He is a man of love, and yet he is persecuted – simply for being loyal to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”

In his conversation with Carlson, the protodeacon assured that despite the persecution, the UOC prays for the Ukrainian authorities, including the president:

“We pray for the authorities, we pray for Zelensky. That at some point they will come to their senses and stop. We sincerely hope that Zelensky will fulfill his promise and restore religious peace. Because 95–97 percent of believers voted for Zelensky as the president of peace and the end of religious hatred in our country.”

In conclusion, Novinsky appealed to the Christian community worldwide for solidarity. He reminded that the Church of Christ has endured trials before and, with God’s help, will overcome the current ones:

“The communists could not defeat us in the twentieth century because Christ is the Church, and Christ is the head of the Church. And we will go through these trials and be purified. And we are very grateful to you and to everyone who does anything for our Church.”

It is worth noting that political analyst Andriy Zolotaryov believes that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which place it outside the law, contradict the Constitution of Ukraine. According to him, this could lead to serious international consequences, including sanctions from the United States.