Bishop of Czechoslovak Church: Ukrainian authorities cause internal discord

Archbishop Juraj of Michalovce and Košice. Photo: vzcz.church.ua

Archbishop Juraj, head of the Michalovce and Košice Diocese of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, spoke in support of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine and the brethren of the Kyiv Caves Lavra. This was reported by the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC with a link to the Facebook page of the diocese.

Vladyka Juraj noted that he “knows well the spiritual significance” of the Kyiv Lavra, which he had repeatedly visited as a priest and bishop.

The bishop criticized the actions of the Ukrainian authorities in relation to the Church: “I am amazed that during the war the officials of Ukraine are concentrating their forces on provoking internal strife, shamelessly abusing religion.”

“Come to your senses, please, before it’s too late, let the monks live and pray in their Lavra!” the archbishop addressed the leadership of Ukraine. “After all, they are people, not things to be moved; they are citizens of Ukraine, not enemies; their life is not your property!”

As reported by the UOJ, the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Savva, in a letter to Archbishop Sylvester, the rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, threw support behind the brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Kyiv theological schools.

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