Revoking His Beatitude’s citizenship: Destroy Ukraine to the end

Metropolitan Onuphry and Zelensky. Photo: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Press Service

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that Zelensky, based on their materials, had revoked the citizenship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Allegedly, in 2002 the Primate obtained Russian citizenship and failed to notify the Ukrainian authorities.

The wording of the SBU’s statement reads like it was written by some crazed radical thug who doesn’t even bother with basic courtesy. His Beatitude is called the “so-called metropolitan of the UOC (MP).” And the rest of the text is simply shocking in its brazen lies.

According to the SBU’s claims, the Primate of the UOC “maintains ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and deliberately opposed the Ukrainian church’s acquisition of canonical independence from the Moscow Patriarchate.”

“Despite the full-scale invasion, Berezovsky (Onuphry) in fact continues to support the policy of the ROC and its leadership, particularly Patriarch Kirill (Gundiaev),” the SBU wrote.

Anyone even slightly familiar with the church situation knows these words are utterly false from start to finish. And since these accusations are entirely dishonest, we have no reason whatsoever to believe the SBU’s claim that His Beatitude holds a Russian passport.

It seems the Zelensky administration has chosen to take Christ’s words – “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” – as a direct manual for action. But what will these actions actually achieve? Will they strengthen the country, its unity and cohesion during wartime? The answer is plainly no. Millions of Ukrainians will no longer see this government as their own. Society will fracture even further. Who benefits from that? The answer is equally clear.

It really seems the authorities are following the principle: the worse, the better.

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