Archbishop Theodosius of Sebaste (Patriarchate of Jerusalem) made an appeal to all Christian churches of the world, noting the need for immediate intervention and support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is being subjected to unprecedented persecution by government authorities in Kiev. It was emphasized that the situation resembles what this Church faced in the communist era, but today persecution takes a different, extremely dangerous form.
The appeal, quoted by the website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, says: "Attacks on bishops, priests, monks and nuns, the seizure of Churches and monasteries, threats to ban the Church, which has been present in Ukraine for a thousand years and is the first, oldest and most ancient church in Ukraine. Silence in the face of the persecution of this Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, with the bishops serving this Church with devotion and sincerity, as well as fathers and monks, is unacceptable. The people of this Church are attached to it and firmly hold on to their belonging to it."
The Archpastor is confident that the oppression faced by the legitimate and canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine "should attract the attention of all Christian Churches, human rights and humanitarian organizations, since such oppression is a form of religious persecution."
"Our brothers in Christ are being purposefully persecuted for their membership in the legitimate Orthodox Church. It is very important to demand from the authorities in Kiev that they stop their aggressive activities and the unacceptable and unjustified persecution of this fraternal Church," Archbishop Theodosius of Sebaste stressed.
Addressing the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, he said: "From Jerusalem, we express our solidarity with the Church in Ukraine, its bishops, priests and people. You are present in our prayers, and we pray that God will keep you safe in these difficult times when you are being persecuted by a system that does not want the good of the Orthodox Church, the goal of which is you as followers of the primordial and only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine."
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Archbishop Theodosius of Sebaste is a member of the international human rights association "Church against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination". It was established in December by a number of hierarchs and clergy of Local Orthodox Churches together with non-governmental organizations "Public Advocacy", "VSI Zmogaus teisiu apsauga", "European Institute for Religion and Law", which have consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.