Metropolitan Longin on SBU visit: They came with guns to God, not to me

Metropolitan Longin and believers of the UOC. Photo: spzh.news

Metropolitan Longin has labeled the visit of armed security forces to the Bancheny Monastery as an attack and called on the international community to protect UOC believers from the authorities' harassment.

Metropolitan Longin stated that after the visit of an armed forces unit to the Bancheny Monastery, the entire world should take notice of the persecution experienced by UOC believers. He made this statement in an address published by the UOJ.

"The Bancheny Monastery was attacked. Hundreds of armed soldiers, SBU officers attacked us as if we were criminals, frightened all the children, surrounded everything we have. This state does not care about us, about our children. My children are at the front, ten sons are there, four are already disabled," he said.

"Let the whole world know how we suffer, how hard it is for us to live in this state. We have no rights; the Constitution does not protect us, the law does not protect us. What sin did this people commit? Why do we not have the right to live in this state? It is ours. I ask everyone to wake up," added Metropolitan Longin.

The hierarch also called on believers from all over Ukraine to stop those who would attempt to seize holy sites.

"We serve this state, but for some reason, we do not have the right to believe in God and pray in our Church... It was frightening when they came to the monastery with guns. They came to God with guns, not to me. Stop these people because our Church is ours, and God is ours. I need help now," he emphasized.

As reported by the UOJ, thousands of parishioners in Bancheny pushed back security forces from the monastery.

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