500 children of Metropolitan Longin appeal to Olena Zelenska for support

Olena Zelenska. Photo: president.gov.ua

On November 7, a letter was published on the Facebook page of the Ascension Bancheny Monastery, in which 508 children of Metropolitan Longin (Zhar) reached out to Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska.

"We, the orphaned children of the large family of Metropolitan Longin (Mykhailo Vasyliovych Zhar), want to appeal to you as a mother, as mothers always understand children best," the letter says. "Each of us, abandoned by our parents, was taken under the care of our dad – Metropolitan Longin."

The children write, "Our big, good, and close-knit family of 508 children and our dad was the happiest until events that began three years ago unfolded. In all the difficult times of our lives and during trials, we always felt the paternal care and love of our dad (Metropolitan Longin). But over the past three years, our father has been subjected to persecutions, and he is being tortured and judged." They share that every day, they live in fear of losing him and "becoming orphans again".

The children mention a court hearing on October 30, during which Metropolitan Longin was taken to the hospital and is now in intensive care.

"Our father is being tried under Article 161 of the Criminal Code, despite his innocence," the letter states. The metropolitan's children tell Olena Zelenska that their questions, "Why is our dad being tortured?" have gone unanswered. They came to the courthouse, only to be "sent home with mocking remarks".

"We beg you, please feel the pain in our hearts," the children plead to the First Lady. "For each of us, our dad has given a part of his heart, health, and life. He has gone through countless heavy trials, endured dozens of surgeries, and we are terrified of losing him."

The letter's authors also write that the Metropolitan is a patriot of Ukraine who has "instilled in us a love for this country and family". "Since the beginning of the war in 2014, our monastery was among the first to take in refugees from 'the hottest zones'. Since the full-scale invasion, the Bancheny Monastery has opened its doors to host refugees. To date, over 20,000 refugees have found shelter in the monastery, with 600 of them living there permanently for more than three years," they recall.

As reported by the UOJ, Amsterdam stated that Ukrainian authorities are using the judicial system to torment the clergy of the UOC.

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