Department for External Church Relations
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Hierarch of the Church of Cyprus reads out an address to Ukrainian authorities in connection with violation of rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
The document, which was read out by Metropolitan Isaias of Tamasos, begins with congratulation of Vladimir Zelensky on his election and wishes of success in his work for the good of the Ukrainian people and further reads: ‘Here, on the sacred and heroic Ukrainian land a great tragedy is happening and injustice is being committed against millions of the Ukrainian Orthodox under pastoral care of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. Thousands of them have been ousted from their churches, suffer persecution and violence done by their compatriots.
“We in the world Orthodoxy and especially the European Orthodox are deeply concerned about the violation of religious human rights of our brothers in Ukraine. We raise our voice in protest together with the millions of the Orthodox believers in the world: Ukrainians, Greeks, Cypriots, Arabs, Serbs, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Romanians, Americans, Russians, Georgians, Albanians, and many others. We are members of the one Body of Christ our God. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.”
The address underscores that the violations of rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church discredit the heroic history and dignity of the democratic people of Ukraine. “Let all church buildings be returned to their lawful Orthodox owners, and let all people serve their God without interference into faith of the others in the spirit of freedom and respect of human rights.
“We will continue our struggle and start to gather signatures for taking the matter in the European Court of Human Rights in order to restore justice. We are convinced that you, being a democratic man who loves his people, will do everything that is right and just so that the Ukrainians will see a father and advocate of their rights in their President. May the Lord grant you many years in good health”
Patriarch
Department Chairman
Sermons
24.01.2021
06.11.2020