New York, September 17, 2024
assemblyofbishops.org
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America issued a statement yesterday expressing its concern about the scandalous law recently passed in Ukraine.
In late August, the Ukrainian Parliament passed and President Zelensky signed into law a bill that, as many Ukrainian politicians openly acknowledge, was crafted for the purpose of banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church because of its historical connection to the Russian Orthodox Church.
A number of Orthodox and other religious representatives have already condemned the persecutory law.
In its statement, the Assembly of Canonical Bishops expresses hope that the law won’t become a tool of religious persecution:
The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has followed with grave concern and profound sorrow the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation as well as the ecclesiastical challenges in the country. While recognizing the legitimate right of governments to prevent all security threats during a time of war, the Assembly is deeply concerned with the adoption by the Ukrainian parliament of Bill 8371 (Law 3894).
Ukraine is a religiously pluralistic society. In the interest of religious freedom and the rule of law, we pray the Ukrainian Law 3894 is not used to persecute any religious group within Ukraine, which would threaten the religious liberty of millions of its citizens.
The Assembly of Bishops prays for a peaceful resolution to this invasion that upholds the civil and human rights of all Ukrainians. The Assembly further prays and urgently calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the return of all captives.
A number of Orthodox primates and Synods have raised their voices in defense of the persecuted UOC, including His Holiness Patriarch Porifirije of Serbia, His Beatitude Patriarch John of Antioch, the Holy Synod of the Albanian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric.
In June, before the passing of the bill, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington and All America and Canada, a member of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops, visited His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church as a sign of fraternal fellowship and support amidst the war and persecution.
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