The Holy Synod of the Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia has issued a statement concerning the recent legislation passed by the Parliament of Ukraine, which prohibits the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
The Synod expressed that this decision brings “bitterness and sorrow,” as it “recalls the painful treatment inflicted by past totalitarian regimes on the Christian Church.”
The statement highlights that “the imprisonment of bishops, the seizure of churches and monasteries, and all other repressive measures against the clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church evoke the harsh treatment experienced under various totalitarian regimes. It is disheartening that such a law has been enacted by the legislature of a democratic republic, which is expected to be a principal guardian of fundamental human rights and freedoms.”
Furthermore, the Church of the Czech Republic and Slovakia extends its support to Metropolitan Onufry and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. “We urge the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to persist in their prayers for peace in Ukraine and across the world,” the announcement concludes.