Metropolitan Anthony: We will legally defend His Beatitude and the Church

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church intends to appeal the termination of the citizenship of its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, through legal channels both in Ukraine and internationally. This was announced by Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), the church’s managing director, during a recent sermon. The video featuring his remarks was published by the Telegram channel “Ukraine Orthodox.”

“Yes, we are citizens of our earthly Homeland. And everything that depends on us as citizens — we will do all we can to protect both His Beatitude and our Church within the framework of legal norms that exist in our country and on the international stage,” said the hierarch.

He also expressed his belief that despite attempts for human truth to prevail, ultimate victory always belongs to divine truth.

“But we understand what is happening. Human truth sometimes wants to overcome God’s truth. And at times, it seems to succeed. But in the end, only God and the Church prevail,” noted Metropolitan Anthony.

Earlier, it was reported that a supporter and advocate of the OCU in the media, religious scholar and member of the “Sophia Brotherhood” Yuriy Chernomorets — who was also one of the “experts” of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience that investigated ties between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Russia in 2023 — stated that UOC managing director Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) allegedly also holds Russian citizenship. The religious scholar expressed surprise that the Security Service of Ukraine has not yet taken action regarding the mentioned UOC hierarch.