Kiev, July 4, 2025
Photo: Telegram
A group of faithful Ukrainian Orthodox Christians who have maintained vigils at the Kiev Caves Lavra for over two years have issued a public statement of support for His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry following President Zelensky’s decision to revoke the beloved primate’s Ukrainian citizenship.
The statement expresses unwavering loyalty to the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and condemns what they characterize as systematic persecution of their religious community.
The believers’ declaration comes as tensions between Ukrainian authorities and the UOC have escalated significantly since the start of the war, with the government taking increasingly aggressive steps against the Church due to its refusal to merge with the state-sponsored schismatics. The message refers to the revocation of Metropolitan Onuphry’s citizenship as an act of injustice that will not shake their spiritual allegiance or diminish their commitment to their Church leader.
The statement, published on the Lavra Fortress Telegram channel, reads:
☦ In support of the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, Sacred Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
Your Beatitude, Most Reverend Vladyka! Our spiritual father!
We are proud to stand beside you ❤️
This photo was taken in April 2023, at the beginning of the great vigils of the faithful of the UOC for their holy site—the Kiev Caves Lavra.
When the authorities took the first steps against freedom of faith, against our humble Church, which previously seemed unthinkable.
Orthodox people came by the thousands to the Lavra to express their disagreement and pray for justice for the Church and peace for Ukraine.
You also came to the vigils. Quietly, modestly, humbly. As one of us, not as a leader or authority figure.
But you cannot imagine how important your prayer was, your quiet presence.
Know that whatever happens, whatever threatens you, we are also beside you. We perceive this as a challenge to each of us. And at the same time, as a common trial of faith, as a chance of fate to suffer for the Lord to His glory!
❤️ ☦ At every service in a UOC church, we, the faithful, hear these words: “For our lord and father, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, let us pray to the Lord.”
And each of us invariably prays, crosses ourselves, and experiences these words somewhere in the depths of our soul.
At every vigil, the words of prayer for you resound. For it is to you that the Lord has entrusted the care of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, it is you who lead us to salvation and toward following the Heavenly dwelling of the Heavenly Father in these difficult times of trials.
The latest news fills us with pain and sorrow. The faithful of the UOC can name countless deeds of Your Beatitude by which you have shown and continue to show your love for our fatherland.
The world does not want to accept the Christian, for to the world the Christian is like a bacteria:
the world wants to rage—the Christian seeks silence and peace;
the world wants to curse everyone and everything—the Christian blesses everyone, even enemies.
☦❤️ We know that the path of Christ is the only one that saves man. Sometimes we do not see how to walk this path, and then you show it, you illuminate it for us!
The stripping of your Ukrainian citizenship is a glaring manifestation not only of injustice, but also of the inability of earthly power, and with it the enemy of mankind’s salvation, to oppose anything to your love. For it is precisely this that we see in every action and hear in every word.
At any time You are with us, with the Church, and we, the faithful children of Your Beatitude, always remain faithful to the Lord, to His Holy Church and to you. No earthly ruler will be able to force us to change our minds, to change our attitude toward you.
We pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, to His Most Pure Mother, to the holy angels, to all the venerable saints of the Kiev Caves, and to all the saints, that you may continue to complete your ministry on the Kiev cathedra as primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Many and blessed years to you, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry!
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