By Konstantinos Menyktas
Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia has issued a statement and letter of support condemning what he describes as “open persecutions” by Ukrainian authorities against the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This letter, addressed to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, underscores the strong ties between the UOC and the Moscow Patriarchate despite claims of “autonomy” made by Metropolitan Onufriy at the outset of the Russian invasion.
The letter, published on the Moscow Patriarchate’s website, responds to an appeal from Patriarch Kirill highlighting “blatant cases of persecution” linked to Ukrainian Bill 8371. Patriarch Porfirije accuses those in power of attempting to destroy the unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, rather than seeking to end the armed conflict between what he terms “two brotherly peoples.” This stance appears to overlook the origins of the conflict in Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian territories.
Patriarch Porfirije praises the resilience of the UOC hierarchs, describing them as enduring dire situations with the steadfastness of genuine believers and shepherds of the Church of Christ. He claims these hierarchs are subjected to fabricated trials and harsh sentences for crimes they did not commit.
Furthermore, he alleges that the ongoing conflict is being exploited as a pretext to ban the activities of the UOC and transfer its assets to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) under Metropolitan Epifaniy, which he derogatorily refers to as a “pseudo-Church.”
The Patriarch of Serbia vows to continue advocating for the UOC, urging the international Christian and broader community to acknowledge and address the alleged atrocities committed against the UOC. He calls for immediate action to end what he terms as “lawlessness” perpetrated by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
“We will continue to fight at every opportunity to draw the attention of the Christian and international community to their plight, calling on all institutions to stop turning a blind eye to all the atrocities committed in recent months and years by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and to take measures to put an end to this lawlessness,” Patriarch Porfirije concludes.
