Metropolitan Onuphry Appeals to UN About Persecuted Ukrainian Church

Pravoslavie ^ | 1/30/23

[marshmallow]

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, the beloved primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, recently sent an appeal to the United Nations about his much-suffering Church.

“Since February 2022, Ukraine has been living in the conditions of a full-scale war. In this terrible hour of military disaster and extremely grave trials, we would like to ask you to give attention to the gross violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion in Ukraine, consisting in the violation of the rights of and discrimination against the Orthodox Christians of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC),” His Beatitude writes in his appeal addressed to the UN’s Secretary General António Guterres, Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, and Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu, reports the Information-Education Department of the UOC.

The UOC primate emphasizes the independent status of the UOC and the fact that it’s the largest denomination in Ukraine, which has condemned the war from the very first days and has provided assistance to all those suffering from the war. He also notes that the UOC has always defended the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

Met. Onuphry took the opportunity to inform the UN leadership about the various anti-Church bills that threaten to ban the UOC, the personal sanctions against UOC hierarchs and clerics, and the illegal activities of local governing bodies.

He also drew attention to the various international laws on the freedom of religion, noting that, “The link between peace and human rights is inextricable. Human rights and the rule of law are a matter of universal security—as important as military potential or economic stability.”