Orthodox believers in Washington, D.C. held a rally in support of the UOC

In the US capital, Washington DC, representatives of various Orthodox churches and Christian communities organized a «Day of Action by Orthodox Christians and their allies» to draw attention to the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The event, held on December 16, 2025 on Capitol Hill, drew about 200 participants. They held dozens of meetings with members of Congress and visited all the offices of the House of Representatives and the Senate, calling on lawmakers to protect the rights of believers. This is reported by the SPJ in the United States.

The action was organized by the Society of St. John of Shanghai and the New York Club of Young Republicans. It was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America, as well as laymen and clergy of other Orthodox jurisdictions and Christian communities in the United States.

Participants in the event marched to the Capitol with placards expressing their protest and demands. Among the slogans were «Release Metropolitan Arseny immediately,» «Greeks for the UOC,» «Repeal Law 3894 (directed against the UOC — Ed.),» and «Stop the imprisonment of our clergy.» These calls emphasized the acute concern about the fate of the UOC and its clergy.

At the end of the meetings and the public part of the action, the organizers held a press conference on the steps of the Capitol, where they summarized the results of the day and once again voiced their demands. It is noted that earlier ROCOR has already issued a call to inform the «powers that be» about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which emphasizes the systematic efforts to protect the UOC at the international level.

Earlier, US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna made a sharp statement accusing Ukraine of systematic persecution of Christian communities and saying that US financial aid actually facilitates these actions. She called for an immediate end to the uncontrolled financing of the Ukrainian government.