Hierarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate urged the international community to stop persecution of the UOCC

The hierarch of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Archbishop Theodosius (Hanna) of Sebastia, has issued a public address in which he called on the international community and the world’s churches to take urgent measures to stop the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). He accused the Ukrainian authorities of organizing a campaign aimed at undermining the position of the Church headed by Metropolitan Onufry.

According to the Telegram channel ‘Religion Today’, in his statement Archbishop Theodosius pointed to specific facts of harassment. According to him, there are «seizures of churches, arrests of clergy, harassment of bishops» in Ukraine, including the very Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. The hierarch emphasized that clergy and believers are subjected to various types of persecution, including «previously unprecedented».

Special attention in the appeal is paid to the church issue. Archbishop Theodosius said that the Ukrainian authorities seek to impose the existence of «another ‘church’ which, in fact, is not a church.» He emphasized: «Our recognition belongs only to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Primate Metropolitan Onufry. We do not recognize any other entity created to undermine the position of the only legitimate and canonical Church.»

The archbishop appealed to all the churches of the world, human rights organizations and international structures, including the United Nations, to hear the voices of the UOC bishops. He urged that efforts be made to stop the Ukrainian government’s actions against the canonical Church, noting that «these violations and persecutions cannot be tolerated.»

In conclusion, the hierarch of the Jerusalem Church expressed full solidarity with Metropolitan Onufry and all the clergy of the UOC. He noted that he offered prayers for the «confessing and suffering Church» at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, calling the enemies of the UOC «enemies of the entire Ecumenical Orthodox Church.» The appeal is dated September 25, 2025 and signed from Jerusalem.

Recall, recently Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria commented on the situation around the Ukrainian church conflict and the topic of the establishment of the PCU, pointing to the presence of «significant canonical obstacles» for its recognition. According to him, the majority of local Orthodox Churches have not recognized this structure, and the church issue in Ukraine is closely linked to geopolitical conflicts.