UOC bishop: We hope for world community to protect UOC believers’ rights
Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv. Photo: cherkasy.church.ua
Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv has called on the international community and human rights defenders to protect the rights of the UOC believers in Ukraine, reports the press service of the Cherkasy Eparchy.
Commenting on the statement of the human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets that he had not received any appeals about violation of UOC believers’ rights, the bishop said that indeed he had not sent any applications to the commissioner for a number of reasons.
"Firstly, the powers of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights do not provide for the possibility of interfering in cases that are pending before the court or law enforcement agencies," he said. “Secondly, in previous years the Ombudsman's Office received dozens of appeals from UOC believers, which, in particular, can be ascertained from the report of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for 2020."
Metropolitan Feodosiy recalled that in 2020, the Commissioner was aware of "an extremely tense situation in connection with numerous conflicts in Ukraine on religious grounds".
At the same time, he noted that Lubinets did not take any effective action to protect the rights of the UOC believers in the Khmelnytsky region, which caused reasonable doubts on the part of parishioners about the objectivity of the ombudsman.
"As for the absence so far of appeals from believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the ombudsman, it is probably due to the distrust of believing citizens of Ukraine in this institution and personally in Mr Ombudsman," the bishop added.
Metropolitan Feodosiy also said that in 2022 and 2023, the UN recognised the existence of facts of confrontations on religious grounds and noted significant restrictions on religious freedom in Ukraine.
As reported, Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy addresses the UN Council.
Read also
Dumenko "blesses" SBU facility for forensic examination
The head of the OCU noted the "special role" of the Institute of Special Technology and Forensic Expertise of the SBU.
ROC head: Attempts to impose special powers of Pat. Bartholomew are sinful
Patriarch Kirill stated that the doctrine of special powers of the Patriarch of Constantinople is being imposed from outside.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces LGBT festival near Sodom and Gomorrah
Israeli authorities are promoting a large-scale gay event at the Dead Sea on social media, which has caused criticism and bewilderment among Christians.
In Bila Tserkva, man nearly killed for greeting "Christ is risen!"
Two non-Orthodox individuals aged 19 and 23 tracked down a 35-year-old Orthodox Christian after an Easter greeting, knocked him down and inflicted several knife wounds to his abdomen and neck.
In Uganda, Islamists kill Protestant pastor after sermon
In Uganda, a Protestant church pastor who preached among Muslims was stabbed to death after a sermon.
Spanish court rules Jehovah’s Witnesses may be called a “destructive sect”
A court in Spain has upheld the right of critics of Jehovah’s Witnesses to speak openly about the group’s alleged harmfulness and danger to society.