World Council of Churches to Examine Situation with the UOC

The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Pastor Jerry Pillay, has received a mandate to study the situation regarding the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This was reported by Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk (Sevryuk), Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, according to RIA Novosti.

According to him, the decision was made following a vote at the WCC Central Committee meeting. The General Secretary has been tasked “to express concern in contacts with the Ukrainian authorities over the persecution of believers in that country.”

It should also be noted that a new UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, covering the period from December 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, recorded attacks on clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The document cites examples of church seizures in Bukovyna, noting that these incidents occurred with the full acquiescence of law enforcement agencies.