Metropolitan Jonathan's lawyer discusses bishop's exchange to Russia
Metropolitan Jonathan. Photo: Belarusian Orthodox Church
Ihor Chudovsky, the lawyer of Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeletskikh) of Tulchyn and Bratslav, said that the bishop was exchanged to Russia for several prisoners of war after his sentence, reports Glavcom.
"Serving the sentence for the heart-sick metropolitan was equivalent to the death penalty. The defense did everything possible to ease the fate of the elderly sick man and the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers who were in captivity," explained the archbishop's lawyer.
Let us recall that on June 18, the head of the Tulchyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeletskikh), who had been sentenced to five years with confiscation of property, refused to be included in the exchange fund as a prisoner of war for transfer to Russia. However, on June 22, the bishop was released at the request of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The authorities did not provide official comments regarding this exchange.
As the UOJ reported, in March 2024, Metropolitan Jonathan suffered a stroke.
Read also
Priests and faithful 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 meets 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.