Hegumeness Serafima: Nobody can drive UOC into ghetto
Hegumeness Serafima, abbess of the Holy Archangel Michael Convent of Odessa
Nobody will be able to drive the Ukrainian Orthodox Church into the ghetto, said Hegumeness Serafima, abbess of the Holy Archangel Michael Convent of Odessa, Chairman of the UOC Synodal Commission "Church and Culture" on the program "Evening on Dumska".
“As for changing our name, our title. I want to remind you that there have been cases in history when names were forcibly changed. It was in the Nazi concentration camps when a number was put on the person’s arm, which was his/her name. ...> Nothing can make us change our name and our identity. We are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and millions of people think so. Nobody will be able to drive us into any ghetto,” noted Hegumeness Serafima.
As the UOJ reported, on December 20, the Verkhovna Rada adopted anti-church bill No. 5309, which obliges the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to change its name as the Church, "whose governing center is in the aggressor country", and become the "Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine". The head of the UOC Legal Department Protopriest Alexander Bakhov said that any attempts by state authorities to force the religious association (Church) to change its name are illegal and violate international law.
Read also
SBU names UOC priest’s wife a suspect in Cherkasy region
The SBU accused Matushka Kateryna Prykotenko of “spreading enemy propaganda” through correspondence with parishioners.
UGCC cleric calls Russian Orthodox literature dangerous for clergy
While examining the causes of divisions within the UGCC, Yustyn Boiko concluded that Russian Orthodox literature had influenced Greek Catholic clergy.
UOC will play major role in achieving peace, says Vadym Novynskyi
UOC Protodeacon Vadym Novynskyi believes the Church will help bring about reconciliation within Ukrainian society after the war ends.
Catholic media outraged by forcible conscription of Uniate cleric
The Vatican’s Apostolic Nunciature has demanded the return of a forcibly mobilized Greek Catholic cleric.
Rivne court fines man for criticizing parish's "transfer" to OCU
A resident of the Rivne region was convicted over Facebook posts criticizing the “transfer” of a religious community in the village of Butove to the OCU.
Novynskyi: I quoted the Gospel to Zelensky on first day of war
The former Ukrainian MP said he advised Davyd Arakhamia to begin negotiations with Russia in the first days of the full-scale war and later spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky.