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Tucker Carlson recently spoke with Protodeacon Vadim Novinsky about the Ukrainian state’s campaign of persecution against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Protodcn. Vadim is also a businessman and for many years served as a Parliamentarian deputy, being one of the few who sought to defend the rights of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has made him a target despite the fact that his charitable foundation has fed thousands throughout the war and donated medical equipment and ambulances to hospitals.
As he discusses with Carlson, Protodcn. Vadim has been personally sanctioned by President Zelensky.
Concerning the persecution of the Church, he refers to several specifically targeted hierarchs and the continuous bloody church seizures taking place throughout Ukraine. He notes that many in the UOC had voted for Zelensky, who promised to bring religious peace to the country.
The protodeacon also notes Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople’s role in the persecution of the UOC.
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I think very few Americans understand the degree to which the Ukrainian government under Zelensky has persecuted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Can you give us an overview of what your government has done to your Church?
Unfortunately, our government led by Zelensky has opened up a campaign of persecution and oppression against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest Church in Ukraine, the largest denomination of Christians in Ukraine. Before the war, there were 12,000 parishes and 7,000,000 in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and despite the fact that it’s the largest denomination and that 95-97% voted for Zelensky as the president of peace, he is doing this to our church. He’s persecuting and oppressing our Church. Over the past 10 years, persecution has intensified, and currently, right now, it is leading to terrible consequences.
As you know, in Parliament, a law has been passed which actually in fact bans the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. So our archbishops are subjected to persecution, there are completely false criminal cases opened up against them, our parishioners beaten, our churches taken away. So satanism is flourishing in Ukraine. So some metropolitans are in prison, some are under house arrest. Some examples are Metropolitan Arseny, who’s currently in prison, who’s the head of the Svyatogorsk Lavra. He’s in prison under completely false accusations. Metropolitan Theodosy, Metropolitan Luke, Metropolitan Anthony--they’re all under house arrest. Another big example is Metropolitan Longin, who actually has an orphanage at his church, which has more than 600 disabled children. He’s a man of love and he's still being persecuted, all for being faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Every day, churches and temples are seized by soldiers with machine guns who come in, who throw out priests, beat believers, children, old people, women, countless priests, countless attempts on the church in Chernovitsy, which is a temple that’s been attempted to be taken over. So every day it is happening all over Ukraine. One cannot help but feel deeply dissatisfied with these events, and one cannot help but fear that our churches may continue to experience this persecution from the government.
Why do you suppose Zelensky is doing this? What is his motive?
It is important to understand the atmosphere that currently prevails in the country. It is basically inciting hatred is the basis of politics, the hatred that is based on lies, deceit. Our Church tells the truth. Our Church exposes sin, and our Church is, right now, it’s a favorable time for our Church—everyone can show their loyalty and faith despite all the persecution, despite all the oppression. We pray for the authorities, we pray for Zelensky that at one point they may come to their senses and stop. We truly hope that Zelensky may fulfill his promise and restore religious peace, because 95-97% voted for Zelensky, voted for him as a peace president and for him to stop the religious hatred going on in our country.
Why do you think the world has ignored this attack on Christianity in Ukraine?
I can tell you that a year ago it was impossible to say a word of truth in the Western press, even the American press about what is happening to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. There was a whole block on the truth of what is happening in religious life in Ukraine. And the first person to break this wall of silence was you, who invited Robert Amsterdam, who is the official representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox church, who began speaking the truth and you broadcast this truth. And for this, thank you. And a big thank you to J. D. Vance, who while he was still a Congressman raised in his voice in support of our Church. He was the only politician in the west who defended our Church. At that time, it was extremely important for us. But apart from you, no other serious publication would publish or show what kind of attacks are taking place on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Because Zelensky was given a vote of confidence and in the eyes of the western public he became a leader of the nation, and anything that he was doing was accepted without question…
The United States is paying for all of this to happen. The Speaker of the House of the United States Congress is a man who describes himself as a Christian, and he’s being paying for this. His name is Speaker Johnson. I’m wondering if there’s something you’d like to say to him and other Christians in the U.S. Congress about the fact the money they send is being used to extinguish the largest Christian denomination. What would you say to them?
… It would be good if the money that comes in, if we don’t spend it to support those who are seizing our churches, the only canonical Church in Ukraine, the largest denomination, the 1,000-year-old Church that is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
What can Christians around the world do to help you—churches around the world, believers around the world do to help you as you try to prevent Zelensky from extinguishing Christianity in Ukraine?
In this process of persecution against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, unfortunately a large part has been taken by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Unfortunately, they’re doing this together, and the fact that not once has he raised his voice and supported the Ukrainian Orthodox Church despite all its persecution proves that he is actually involved in all of this. But we do receive a lot of support. We receive a lot of support from the Jerusalem Church, the Georgian Church, the Serbian Church, their Patriarchs, and we receive a lot of brotherly love and support and a lot of prayer, because that is our main strength—prayer. And the Church will not be defeated. The true canonical Church will not be defeated. The communists could defeat us in the 21st century, because Christ is the Church. The head of the Church is Christ, and consequences will be bad for those who oppose Him, and we will pass these trials and we will be purified. And we are very grateful to you and for everyone doing anything for our Church.
