His Eminence Archbishop Theodosius of Sebaste (Patriarchate of Jerusalem) on February 8, 2025, addressed the topic of oppression and direct persecution that befell the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the state authorities of Ukraine, who persecute the episcopate and clergy, justify the seizure of churches and adopt discriminatory amendments to the law.
“Today we enter the period of the Lenten Triodion, which will lead us to Holy Lent, Holy Week and the feast of the Resurrection of Christ. Before we embark on this path, I would like to address the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the Church-Martyr and the Church-Witness, which continues to be persecuted by the Kiev authorities, who have passed discriminatory laws to weaken it, to oppress its episcopate and clergy, and to justify the seizure and confiscation of its churches.
We wish to reiterate our support and full solidarity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, and to emphasize once again that this is the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine that we recognize and that we will never recognize any other structure. We call on all the faithful of our Churches to intensify their prayers and petitions for this suffering, persecuted Church with the beginning of the Triodion.
In times of pain and sorrow, our only refuge is the Lord. We pray for peace in our country and in our East, and we pray for peace in Ukraine and for an end to the war there. We hope and demand that all persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church be immediately stopped and that all discriminatory laws directed against this Church, which is an integral part of the Ukrainian land and its people, be abolished.
We also appeal again and again to all the Churches of the world, all institutions that protect human rights and humanitarian organizations, to make all possible joint efforts to put an end to the persecution of the oldest Ukrainian Church, the history of whose emergence is closely connected with the history of Ukraine itself.
Before the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, we offer our heartfelt prayers for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, all metropolitans and bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and all the faithful people of our sister Ukrainian Church, asking Almighty God to strengthen them and comfort their hearts in these difficult times that the Ukrainian Church is experiencing in a country suffering from the consequences of war.
Preparation: Vvjeronauka.net / Source: patriarchia.ru