Thread by @Favillez

1) Just updated the statements by Met. Onuphry, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which used to be loyal to Moscow.
actualidadereligiosa.blogspot.com/2022/02/war-in…
As usual, nothing in his sermons about the war, but the Synod just published two very important documents, excerpts follow.

2) Firstly, the conclusions of the Synod meeting, which again denounce the invasion and pledge loyalty to Ukraine, but also complain of persecution.
"On February 24, 2022, the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine began, which brought death and destruction

3) to Ukrainian land. Regrettably, during the armed conflict there were casualties among the clergy and monastics of our Church, and many churches and monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were destroyed."

4) "Sharing the sorrows of its people, since the first day of the war, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has provided comprehensive assistance to all people, regardless of their religion."

5) The report then lists the different types and amounts of help, including provision of armoured cars to the armed forces, etc.,
Clearly, the Synod is establishing its credentials. We are no less Ukrainian than you, they are telling the country, and they stress that many of

6) their faithful have died in service to Ukraine.
This is said against a backdrop of searches of monasteries and churches, and draft laws that could threaten the very existence of the Church in Ukraine, due to its ties to Moscow.

7) "The real help of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in overcoming the war, unfortunately, remains almost invisible in society. On the contrary, the raiding of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church intensified, including with the help of local self-government bodies,

8) artificially increased enmity towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Representatives of other denominations, individual deputies and civil servants, abusing their power & official position, make illegal and unfounded accusations against our Church. In diocesan administrations,

9) churches and monasteries of our Church, as well as bishops and clerics, searches are conducted, as a result of which some postcards appear that have never been there, or symbols that can discredit the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. For the first time in the history of our state,

10) "personal" sanctions were illegally and unjustifiably applied against clergymen. As a result, the activities of entire dioceses are blocked. These restrictions violate not so much the personal rights of clergymen, but the rights of almost a thousand religious communities.

11) All this and other things serve as a basis for political slogans and even legislative initiatives to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."

This list of grievances is then replicated in an open appeal to @ZelenskyyUa, in which the Church also complains about

12) a blasphemous television report. I do not know if this programme was critical and mocking of Christianity in general, or of their Church in particular.
The appeal begins by stressing the history of the Church in preserving and shaping Ukrainian identity.

13) "In the most critical periods of our nation's existence, the Holy Church was the force that preserved its identity and gave us the strength to get up from our knees and move on"
This may come as a surprise to Ru Orth hardliners, who argue that the Ukr identity does not exist.

14) The synod stresses the sacrifices made by many of its faithful defending Ukraine's sovereignty:
"From the very beginning of hostilities, our believers have been defending their country, sacrificing their lives for the liberation of their native land. The Ukrainian Orthodox

15) Church constantly offers prayers and provides material assistance to military personnel, forced migrants and other categories of population affected by the war."
All of which makes the persecutions they are being subjected to even more unjust.

16) "They not only form negative public opinion, but also inflame religious enmity, which sets some citizens of Ukraine against others, divides our people, who so need unity in the conditions of war. The flurry of filth that spills over the Church generates anger and intolerance

17) towards each other in Ukrainian society, which, in turn, leads to spiritual decline and loss of moral values. This leads to the beating of believers and priests, the seizure and destruction of temples, and the banning of the Church itself. In addition, the Ukrainian Orthodox

18) Church is still deliberately called "Russian" and "Moscow", and believers who are citizens of Ukraine are unjustifiably considered enemies just because they belong to this Church."

19) Complaining about the abovementioned tv programme: "Today our State needs God's help more than ever. Public insult to God is unacceptable. We respect the freedom of other citizens to practice their chosen religion or not to practice any religion, but in this case we are

20) talking about insulting the religious feelings of believing citizens of Ukraine, many of whom are now sacrificing themselves to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty."

21) Next comes a glowing description of Zelenskyi himself. The message, again, is clear. We are not outsiders. We are not the opposition, or a Russian fifth column.

22) "In your person, we see a guarantor of the Const of Ukr. In the 2019 elections, you showed yourself as a charismatic personality, a person uncorrupted by the bureaucratic system. With this, you earned the trust of the believers of our Church, who voted for you en masse.

23) You managed to consolidate the people around the values of democracy, freedom and dignity. That is why the whole world respects and supports you.
And today we appeal to you to ensure the right to freedom of conscience and religion for the faithful of the Ukr Orth Church.

24) Is this sincere? Are they desperate for survival? The persecution they speak of is certainly worrying, and I doubt all the authorities are saying about them is true. Regardless, the ordinary faithful in the pews have a right to worship where they see fit.

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