ROCOR in the U.S. urged to inform authorities about persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in the United States has stated its obligation to inform the American authorities and the public about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). ROCOR representatives expressed hope that after years of effort, their voice will finally be heard in Washington, leading to serious consideration of the issue at the political level.

As reported by the Institute on Religion and Politics, Archpriest Seraphim Gan, the administrator of the Office of the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR, emphasized that informing the «powers that be» about the persecution of UOC believers is the duty of Orthodox Christians. «We have been talking about this for years, but only recently we felt heard for the first time. So, we hope that politicians in Washington will seriously address these issues,» the clergyman said.

Archpriest Seraphim Gan also noted that the ROCOR considers the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, to be the only legitimate heir to the millennia-old Kyiv Church in Ukraine. At the same time, he said, the competing structure — the «Orthodox Church of Ukraine» (OCU) — is a «schismatic structure» and «a caricature to which the believing people are absolutely not located and which they do not trust at all.»

Recall, the Order of Archons of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the United States made sharp accusations against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), saying that it persecutes and attacks members of the PCU. The statement was made in response to a meeting between a delegation of US Orthodox churches and US politicians, where the plight of the canonical UOC was discussed.