Chancellor: UOC will defend its rights by all legal means

Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary. Photo: law.church.ua

The сlergy and parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should unite their efforts to protect the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from persecution and repression. At a meeting with representatives of the eparchial Legal Departments, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the UOC Chancellor, made a statement.

According to him, since March 2022, about 300 UOC communities have been illegally re-registered to the OCU, and during the same time, the authorities in the regions made 81 decisions to ban UOC activities.

Metropolitan Anthony also noted that today there is unprecedented pressure on the UOC clergy and parishioners:

"The shameful practice of seizure and illegal re-registration of religious communities to the OCU continues. In the Verkhovna Rada, there are 9 bills aimed in one way or another at limiting the UOC or its complete ban,” the press service of the UOC Legal Department cites the hierarch as saying. “<...> The Security Service of Ukraine carried out searches in monasteries, eparchial directorates and parishes, and criminal proceedings were launched.”

At the same time, the UOC Chancellor advised the UOC believers to rely on the law and their own strength in defending the church.

"We must protect our constitutional rights by means provided by the current legislation of Ukraine. Only through the joint efforts of the clergy and laity, each in their place, in their parish, can we be heard by the authorities and protect our constitutional rights to the free practice of our Orthodox faith," the hierarch added.

As reported, the VR Committee for Humanitarian Policy recommended passing a law banning the UOC.

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