Orthodox Christians in U.S.: “War on Faith” bill ignores persecution of UOC

Orthodox Americans rally in defense of the UOC, December 2025. Photo: UOJ

On April 24, 2026, in Washington, an official statement was released by the St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco Society regarding the bill introduced in the U.S. Congress, HR-8433 (S-4379) – the “Countering Russia’s War Against Faith Act.”

Earlier, UOJ reported that the bill, introduced on April 23, 2026, effectively ignores documented cases of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Ukrainian authorities.

In its statement, the Society emphasizes that it welcomes any serious efforts to document and punish violations of religious freedom, yet “cannot ignore the glaring omission at the heart of this legislation and the statements surrounding it.” The statement is signed by Government Affairs Director Catherine Whiteford.

“Representatives Joe Wilson and Don Bacon continue to remain silent in the face of well-documented persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by the government in Kyiv,” the document states.

The authors recall that UOC clergy have been detained and forcibly mobilized, churches have been seized, and legislation adopted in Ukraine is directly aimed at the country’s largest Orthodox confession under allegations of “collaboration.” These facts, the statement notes, have been documented by a number of authoritative international human rights organizations.

Particular attention is given to the figure of 600 churches destroyed during the war, frequently cited by American lawmakers. The Society stresses that most of these churches belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the very Church that is now being stigmatized and pressured by Ukrainian authorities and their allies in Washington.

“To condemn their destruction at the hands of one party while justifying or ignoring their persecution by another is not moral clarity – it is hypocrisy,” the statement declares.

The Society calls on the United States to apply consistent standards in matters of religious freedom to both adversaries and allies alike, warning that any other approach “undermines the very principles we claim to defend.”

“Religious freedom is not a geopolitical tool. It is a universal right rooted in the dignity of the human person, having been formed in the image of God Himself,” the statement underscores.

In conclusion, the St. John of Shanghai Society urged Congressmen Wilson, Bacon, and their colleagues to consider the full scope of religious persecution in Ukraine – “without exception, without favoritism, and without political convenience.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a ROCOR bishop demanded an apology from a congressman over alleged defamation.

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