German journalist: Situation with UOC threatens future of all Christianity
Gregor Fernbach. Screenshot from the YouTube video “Edition Hagia Sophia Introduces Itself”
The persecution of Christians – especially in Ukraine – evokes memories of the godless regimes of the Soviet era and offers a glimpse into a future where practicing the Christian faith may no longer be taken for granted. So said Gregor Fernbach, director of the German Orthodox publishing house Edition Hagia Sophia, in an interview with the UOJ in Germany.
According to Fernbach, the persecution of Orthodox Christians around the world has reached alarming proportions and remains largely underreported in the media.
He drew particular attention to the situation in Ukraine – “a traditionally Orthodox country” – where “monasteries and churches are being closed, confiscated, or converted to another faith.”
Such developments, he stated, along with “the expulsion of priests and communities,” recall the godless regimes of the Soviet era and allow people in Germany to foresee a future in which the practice of Christianity is no longer something taken for granted.
As the UOJ previously reported, the abbot of a German monastery earlier said that the current turmoil in Orthodoxy is the work of the devil.
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.