Zoria: Phanar Exarchate backs Ukrainians in Lithuania's fight for freedom

Evstratiy Zoria. Photo: screenshot from the "Voice of America" YouTube channel

The spokesman of the OCU, Ivan (Evstratiy) Zoria, told the Lithuanian publication LRT that the struggle of Ukrainians living in Lithuania for their freedom should be manifested in support of the newly formed structure of the Constantinople Patriarchate here.

"I call on Orthodox Ukrainians to support the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate because it is also part of our joint struggle. We know the slogan that united Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and other European patriots long ago. But this slogan remains relevant, including in church life – 'For your and our freedom! Už jūsų ir mūsų laisvę!'," Zoria urged.

He assured that "ecclesiastical freedom, freedom of faith, and freedom of confession in Ukraine and Lithuania are closely and mutually linked."

Earlier, it was reported that with the blessing of Metropolitan Innokentiy of Vilnius, there is a community for Ukrainian refugees in the Lithuanian Church, led by a priest of the UOC from Kharkiv.

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