Home page News
Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia: We demand …

Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia: We demand that persecutions against Ukrainian Orthodox Church be stopped

DECR Communication Service, 11/02/2025

On 8th February 2025, a hierarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Archbishop Theodosius of Sebastia, spoke in his homily about the oppression and outright persecutions unleashed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian authorities that subject its episcopate and clergy to persecutions, justify church seizures and adopt discriminatory amendments to the laws in force. Archbishop Theodosius said:

“Today we begin the Lenten Triodion cycle which will lead us to the Great Lent, the Holy Week and the Feast of the glorious Resurrection of Christ.

“Before we start this journey, we would like to address the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – a martyred Church that bears its testimony and continues to suffer from oppression and persecution at the hands of the Kyiv authorities that have adopted discriminatory laws in order to weaken it, subject its bishops and clergy to persecutions and justify the seizure of its churches and property.

“We would like to reiterate our support for and complete solidarity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry and point out once again that it is the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine we recognize. Never will we recognize another body. As we begin this Triodion journey, we call upon all the faithful of our Churches to intensify their prayers and petitions for this suffering, persecuted Church.

“In times of pain and sorrow the Lord is our only refuge. We pray for peace in our country and our East, and we also pray for peace in Ukraine, for the war there to come to an end. We hope and demand that all persecutions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church immediately cease and that all the discriminatory laws targeting this Church, which is an integral part of the Ukrainian country and its people, be repealed.

“Time and again we call upon all Churches throughout the world and all human rights and humanitarian organizations to concentrate all their concerted efforts on stopping the persecutions against the oldest Ukrainian Church, whose history since the onset has been closely associated with the history of Ukraine itself.

“Standing before the Holy Tomb of our Lord in Jerusalem, we lift up our ardent prayers for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, all metropolitans and bishops, priests, monks, nuns and all the faithful of the sisterly Ukrainian Church, asking the Almighty God to fortify them and console their hearts in these times of hardships for the Ukrainian Church in the country that is suffering from the consequences of the war.”

 

Share:
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch concerning tragic developments in Syria

11.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with delegation of Malankara Church

08.03.2025

Delegation of the Malankara Church attends Patriarchal Liturgy on the commemoration day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

08.03.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Russia

06.02.2025

Divine Liturgy celebrated at Christ the Saviour Cathedral on the occasion of the sixteenth anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill

01.02.2025

Condolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the passing of the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church

25.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Primate of the Russian Church celebrated the Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

07.01.2025

Christmas Message by His Holiness Patriarch KIRILL of Moscow and All Russia

06.01.2025

A Joint Session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Took Place

26.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill presided over the joint session of the Holy Synod and the Supreme Church Council

26.12.2024

Primate of the Russian Church consecrates Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Mitino, Moscow.

22.12.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill: Violations of the rights of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been noted in reports by international human rights organizations.

20.12.2024

Phone conversation took place between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch

12.12.2024

Meeting of the Council of the Christian Interconfessional Advisory Committee has been held

28.02.2025

Metropolitan Antony of Volokolamsk participates in Patriarchal Liturgy in Belgrade

26.02.2025

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill speaks on the phone with His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije

25.02.2025

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije receives Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk

25.02.2025

DECR Chairman tells participants of the meeting at Nizhny Novgorod seminary about external contacts of the Russian Orthodox Church

22.02.2025

Rector of St George Church at Russia’s Embassy in Prague awarded the Order of Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles

20.02.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Metochion in Bari

16.02.2025

DECR chairman meets with Catholic Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto Giuseppe Satriano

15.02.2025

On the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk celebrates Liturgy at the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari

15.02.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk: "We have embarked on a significant and new endeavor in Africa."

04.02.2025

The funeral service and burial of His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios of Albania took place.

30.01.2025

Annual Christmas meeting takes place at Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

29.01.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with Primate of Orthodox Church of Antioch

26.01.2025

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk visits Lebanon

26.01.2025

DECR Chairman meets with chaplain of St. Andrew's Anglican church in Moscow

23.01.2025

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب