German theologian criticizes Ukrainian authorities' pressure on UOC

UOC priest Oleksandr Petrenko before evacuation (2026). Photo: ekd.de

Professor of Eastern Christian theology at the University of Münster Regina Elsner has criticized the pressure exerted by Ukrainian authorities on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). As reported by the UOJ in Germany, the expert stressed that the ban law is affecting believers who have already been impacted by the war.

As an example, Prof. Elsner cited the St. Spyridon parish in the village of Zeleny Hai near Sumy. Since 2022, priest Oleksandr Petrenko and members of his congregation have been evacuating people from frontline areas and providing civilians and soldiers with material, psychological, and pastoral support.

Due to shelling, the building of the local church has been damaged, and ongoing shelling prevented repairs. Among those killed in the summer 2026 were two girls who had attended the church service shortly beforehand. There are now only 11 people left in the village out of 34 residents, and between three and five believers attend church services.

The theologian separately emphasized that in the first days of the war Priest Oleksandr Petrenko, like other Ukrainian clergy, called for an end to the war. She also noted that the Sumy Epaarchy of the UOC was one of the first to sharply condemn the war and permitted the clergy not to commemorate Patriarch Kirill during services. Nevertheless, the UOC continues to face blanket suspicions of ties to Russia. As a result, believers must not only struggle to survive but also fear a legally sanctioned ban on their church.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Montenegrin priest condemned the Ukrainian authorities for persecuting the UOC.

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