Metropolitan Arseniy urges UK Prime Minister to protect UOC
Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk in Court. Photo: Sviatohirsk Lavra
The abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy, who is facing persecution from Ukrainian authorities, appealed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for help in protecting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the British edition “The Independent”.
The article "Top Ukraine cleric pleads with Starmer for help over Zelensky’s Orthodox church crackdown" describes the repression the UOC is facing in the current war conditions.
Speaking to “The Independent”, Metropolitan Arseniy warned: “The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is facing a great trial. Our holy temples and shrines have been destroyed, and our priests and parishioners are being killed in the war. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government seeks to ban the Church. Priests are being wrongfully arrested, and our places of worship are being seized and taken from us.”
The matter was discussed at an international conference in Berlin, which the British delegation did not attend. Sir Iain Duncan Smith is critical of the delay in appointing an envoy for religious freedom: "Keir Starmer promised that the Labour Party would champion religious freedom. But after more than 100 days in office, he has yet to appoint a special envoy."
The situation regarding the persecution of the UOC has also raised concerns of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the UK Foreign Office, which are closely monitoring events in Ukraine.
As reported earlier by the UOJ, the UN noted violations of the rights of believers in Ukraine.
Read also
Head of Institute of Demography: I really don't want migrants from Iraq, Iran and Syria
Libanova acknowledged: to rebuild the country, Ukraine will have to import foreign construction workers, but she clearly identified undesirable sources of labor migration.
Turkey condemns "desecration" of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli minister
Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident at Al-Aqsa Mosque and demanded guarantees for maintaining the status of the Muslim shrine.
Patriarch Porfirije opens exhibition about Saint Sava in Belgrade
The exhibition at the Gallery of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts will be open until July 19, with hierarchs, government representatives, and guests from Greece present at the opening.
His Beatitude Onuphry finds church disputes on social media inappropriate
The Primate of the UOC said that church disputes should be resolved in the church environment, not in social media feeds.
Metropolitan Onuphry comments on Filaret's death
The Primate of the UOC commented on the death of Filaret Denysenko in an interview and called the schism in Ukraine a non-healing wound of church life.
Multi-thousand March for Life against abortion and euthanasia held in Canada
Thousands of Ottawa residents took to the streets to demand legislative protection of human life from conception to natural death.