A leader of the U.S. Republican youth wing urged Orthodox Americans to meet with lawmakers to counter the slander about the UOC

The leader of the youth wing of the Republican Party of the United States, Katherine Whiteford, appealed to Orthodox Americans to participate in a meeting with congressmen scheduled for December 16, 2025. The reason for such an appeal were slanderous statements by a number of American lawmakers who began to associate Orthodox clergy with «Russian intelligence services» and «foreign influence» in connection with the support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Whiteford reported this in her social networking account X.

According to Whiteford, such accusations are not only groundless, but also dangerous, creating an atmosphere of distrust and hostility towards Orthodox communities in the United States. She emphasized the paradoxical situation when American journalists and politicians call the persecution of the UOC «alleged», while the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelensky, openly speaks of «repression» against the Church. Whiteford also recalled that a previous official investigation by the agency’s head, Olena Bohdan, did not reveal an administrative connection between the UOC and the Moscow Patriarchate.

Despite this, some U.S. lawmakers continue to refer to the «threat» from the UOC and «remnants of Moscow’s leadership.» Katherine Whiteford believes that such statements indicate a misunderstanding of the principles of canonical governance and the essence of the Orthodox Church. She believes that the root cause of what is happening is ignorance and lack of personal communication between politicians and real Orthodox Christians.

«Together we will meet with our elected representatives, pray for our country, and show America who we really are: faithful, patriotic, ordinary Americans. Register at societyofstjohn.com», — urged Catherine Whiteford, emphasizing the importance of direct dialogue and demonstration of the unity of the Orthodox community.

Recall, earlier we reported that the U.S. State Department announced the introduction of new visa restrictions for individuals and organizations responsible for the persecution of Christians and violation of religious freedoms around the world. This measure is aimed at increasing international pressure on governments and groups that systematically infringe on the rights of believers.