Jerusalem Сhurch hierarch: Christians should condemn persecution of UOC

Archbishop Theodosios. Photo: hilarion.ru

On January 5, 2023, Archbishop Theodosios of Sebastia said during a meeting with a delegation of the Polish Orthodox Church that Christians around the world should condemn the persecution to which the UOC is currently subjected, reports orthodoxostypos.gr.

"Where is the entire Christian world now to condemn the persecution to which the UOC is being subjected? After all, we still have not heard any clear positions, despite the appeals and messages sent by its bishops," the hierarch noted.

Archbishop Theodosios noted that the Jerusalem Church does not recognise the OCU.

"We do not recognise the non-canonical and illegal entity that was created in Ukraine under political pressure, of which we are all aware, but recognise only the canonical UOC headed by Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv," he stressed.

According to him, if the "church dilemma" in Ukraine is not resolved, it will affect the entire Orthodox world, the situation in which will get "steadily worse".

The Jerusalem Church is praying to God for an end to the war in Ukraine, "for which innocent citizens who have no interest in political conflicts are paying the price", the Jerusalem Church hierarch added.

"We pray for the resolution of the current crisis, to restore harmony, unity and to heal the wound from which everybody suffers," Archbishop Theodosios concluded.

As earlier reported, Metropolitan Filaret and Patriarch Theophilos III discussed the situation in Ukraine.

Read also