Destro in US Congress condemns silence on UOC persecution
Robert Destro. Photo: X Robert Amsterdam
On June 4, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert Destro spoke at hearings in Congress and in his speech condemned the hypocrisy of official Washington regarding the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the authorities, reports the UOC lawyer Robert Amsterdam on his X account.
"We say we are for religious freedom, but we are for the deconstruction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Destro addressed the congressmen. "We, you, know that the Ukrainian authorities are arresting priests and nuns. You know how it looks – they fund Greek Orthodox newspapers but are silent about Ukrainian ones. The organization of Ukrainian journalists, Orthodox journalists, nothing is said about them."
The former assistant secretary stated that such hypocrisy is unacceptable and shameful.
As reported, Robert Destro, who served as Assistant Secretary of State from 2017-2021 and is a key member of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump's team, spoke out against the collective responsibility of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's parishioners.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.