Odesa UOC Eparchy: "We can no longer be silent; we will defend the Church"

Press Secretary of the Odesa Eparchy. Photo: Odesa Eparchy of the UOC

The Odesa Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church issued a statement on the need to protect the Church from unjust actions and persecution. This was in response to the appeal by 30 UOC hierarchs about the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church Synod regarding UOC dioceses located in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In a video commentary, the diocese emphasized that the UOC faces threats aimed at dividing and destroying it.

“Our hierarchs and priests have endured all hardships humbly, like Christ before judgment, but the time has come when we can no longer be silent, for even the stones cry out to heaven,” the statement says.

The diocese underscored that recent events – where clergy are driven to heart attacks, imprisoned, and dioceses and churches are seized – are a blow to every believer. The Church, they noted, is not merely walls but a living organism that unites all the faithful of Ukraine.

“The Church has always been with us in the most difficult times, and now it is our duty to raise our voices in its defense and strengthen our prayers,” the diocese stated.

The appeal concluded with a call for unity and determination to defend the Church, its faith, and its symbols: “We will not allow the destruction of what is sacred to us. The Church is us, and we will be no longer silent.”

The Odesa Eparchy’s video includes footage from the trial of Metropolitan Arseniy (Yakovenko), scenes of Metropolitan Theodosiy (Snigirev) being beaten, and images showing Metropolitan Longin (Zhar) suffering a heart attack in court.

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