US Assembly of Bishops reports declining number of Christians in Ukraine
Participants of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA highlighted the dangers facing believers in Ukraine and the Middle East and called for an end to the hostilities.
The 15th meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA, chaired by Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, has concluded in Pittsburgh. As reported by the UOJ-USA, four days of discussions on pan-Orthodox cooperation, a common catechism (an exposition of the fundamentals of the faith), humanitarian issues, and the impact of artificial intelligence concluded on October 6, 2026.
In the final document, the hierarchs expressed particular sorrow over the dangers that Orthodox Christians face daily in Ukraine and the Middle East. They also specifically noted the declining number of Christians in these regions.
In addition, the bishops reiterated calls for "an immediate cessation of hostilities wherever war continues," and appealed to the governments involved in conflicts to put an end to people's suffering.
The hierarchs also confirmed the task of preparing a classical common catechism in English and approved the Lexicon of American Sign Language for Orthodox Christian terminology. In his closing remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros called on the bishops to make the work of the Assembly one of the main priorities of the episcopate. According to him, the Assembly is "as effective and vital as we make it ourselves."
As UOJ reported, Archbishop Elpidophoros stated that the future of inter-Orthodox relations will be decided in Ukraine. The Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the USA acts as a consultative body of the canonical Orthodox jurisdictions of the country.
