Serbian Patriarch Porfirije has labeled those attempting to destroy the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) as villains. He stated that the conflict in Ukraine is being used as a pretext to hand over the UOC and all its assets to a schismatic pseudo-church. This letter from Patriarch Porfirije was published by the Synodal Department for External Church Relations.

The hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are facing open persecution relentlessly imposed by the Ukrainian authorities. This is stated in a letter from His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, written in response to an appeal from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, which detailed egregious cases of persecution of Orthodox hierarchs, clergy, and laity in Ukraine, the banning and blocking of news internet resources covering the authorities' religious policies, and the preparation for the second reading of bill No. 8371, aimed at effectively banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

"Instead of striving with all their might to stop the armed conflict between the two brotherly peoples, born into eternal life in the same baptismal font, the villains, driven by the poisonous hatred of the evil one, continue their attempts to destroy the last bastion of their unity in the love of the Lord—the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," said Patriarch Porfirije. "Its hierarchs, who not only openly and fearlessly expose the malevolence of the godless authorities but also suffer more than others as faithful shepherds of the Church of Christ in the current circumstances, are being framed in fabricated court cases and sentenced to punishments reserved for the most heinous crimes. Their unwavering zeal in faith and service to God's people is best expressed by the words of the holy martyr Ignatius the God-bearer: 'I am God's wheat. Let the beasts' teeth grind me so that I may become pure bread of Christ.' Knowing their willingness to self-sacrifice and their courage to resist all injustice, we feel a fraternal duty and obligation to bear witness to their suffering before the whole world, which, Your Holiness, dear brother in Christ, we always do in prayer and hope in the Lord."

With deep regret, the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church noted that the cries of the Orthodox Ukrainian people, loyal to their canonical Church, "do not reach those who hold power and who can influence the rulers of Ukraine to stop the persecution and anti-church terror, which is gaining more momentum."

The current conflict "is being used as a pretext for implementing a plan to ultimately ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with the aim of transferring all the spiritual and material capital it possesses into the hands of a pseudo-church," His Holiness noted. He expressed concern that under these conditions "the current dire situation of our Orthodox brothers will continue to worsen," and also reminded of the importance of a peaceful resolution to the armed conflict.

"We will continue to strive at every opportunity to draw the attention of the Christian and international community to their suffering, calling on all influential institutions to stop turning a blind eye to all the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church over the past months and years, and finally take measures to put an end to this lawlessness," emphasized the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church, assuring prayers for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its suffering faithful.

"May the Risen from the dead Eternal Logos of God pour out abundant blessings on the much-suffering Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Mother, the Holy Russian Orthodox Church, and grant you, Your Holiness, as well as the entire hierarchy, clergy, and believers, every good gift from His inexhaustible and eternal treasury!" concludes the letter of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia.

Photo: Serbian Patriarchate / spc.rs