German diocese of ROCOR condemns attack on Christians in Cherkasy

Beating of Metropolitan Theodosiy by supporters of the OCU. Photo: a video screenshot from @Cherkasy_Blagovest

On 30 October, the German diocese of the ROCOR issued a statement condemning the seizure of the Cherkasy cathedral, calling for increased prayers for the confessors of the canonical UOC, the diocese's Telegram channel reports.

The statement notes that the leadership of the ROCOR diocese in Germany has always been in defence of the persecuted believers. For this reason, the diocese commented on the seizure of the Cherkasy cathedral of the UOC, “as a result of which several people, including His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosiy, ended up in hospital”.

‘We note with sorrow that on 17 October 2024, armed men seized and looted the cathedral in Cherkasy. His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosiy and the faithful who stood up to defend the shrines and courageously, with their deeds professing faith in Christ and fidelity to canonical Orthodoxy, were beaten,” the German diocese of the ROCOR says.

The message also quoted the words of the UOC's Chancellor, who noted that “everyone saw how the faithful were driven out of the cathedral in Cherkasy, when this terrible crowd took weapons and sticks to beat up the people who built this cathedral, who prayed there for many years”.

“Today we offer our prayers and sighs for the new confessors of Christ – the Orthodox Christians of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the diocesan statement reads.

The document also says that Metropolitan Mark of Berlin sent letters (about the situation in Cherkasy) to the Conference of Orthodox Bishops of Germany and the Catholic Church.

As reported by the UOJ, Metropolitan Theodosiy spoke of the health state of the Cherkasy cathedral’s defenders.

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