Patriarch Porfirije: Actions of Ukrainian government towards UOC are lawless

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije. Photo: spc.rs

His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia has stated that there is an exponential growth of intolerance from the authorities of Ukraine towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed the assumption that draft anti-church law No. 8371, passed by the Verkhovna Rada in the first reading, "serves a hidden purpose – to completely hinder the further fulfillment of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's centuries-old saving mission among the descendants of ancient Kievan Rus."

"We are sincerely alarmed by the exponential growth of intolerance of the Ukrainian authorities towards the only canonical Church in Ukraine, and are particularly concerned about their intention to legitimize this lawlessness by adopting discriminatory laws," emphasized the Serbian Patriarch.

He stated that "always and everywhere, to the best of our abilities, we testify to the sufferings of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, appealing to all representatives of the international community in power to prevent this injustice."

Patriarch Porfirije also mentioned that "the highest archpastoral governing bodies of our Holy Church continue to call upon our faithful people to pray for our Ukrainian Orthodox brothers and, where possible, to provide material and non-material assistance to those who have suffered damage as a result of hostilities and persecution by godless authorities."

"We rely only on the Lord and pray to Him, through the intercession of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God, to remember the suffering people of Ukraine and grant them swift deliverance from all the calamities that have befallen them," emphasized His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije.

He assured that the Serbian Church will continue to "earnestly pray for the much-suffering Ukrainian Orthodox Church and continue to provide its hierarchy, clergy, and faithful with all other forms of support that would help them overcome all the trials they are currently experiencing."

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Serbian Patriarch issued a statement in support of the UOC.

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