Voice of Orthodox Ukraine
20.04.202512:55
🇬🇧PERSECUTED UOC PARISH CELEBRATES EASTER IN BUKOVYNA
🇺🇦ГОНИМА ПАРАФІЯ УПЦ ЗУСТРІЧАЄ ПАСХУ НА БУКОВИНІ
◾️Easter night in the village of Panka, Bukovyna.
This is how the faithful of the St. Demetrius Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) celebrated the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians, whose church was seized by raiders from the OCU, glorify the Risen Christ.
Among the UOC believers who gathered for prayer that night, a true Easter joy could be felt.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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🇺🇦ГОНИМА ПАРАФІЯ УПЦ ЗУСТРІЧАЄ ПАСХУ НА БУКОВИНІ
◾️Easter night in the village of Panka, Bukovyna.
This is how the faithful of the St. Demetrius Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) celebrated the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians, whose church was seized by raiders from the OCU, glorify the Risen Christ.
Among the UOC believers who gathered for prayer that night, a true Easter joy could be felt.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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18.04.202511:33
🇬🇧His Beatitude: In Eucharist, God reveals His sacrificial love for humanity
🇺🇦Блаженніший: У Таїнстві Євхаристії Бог проявляє жертвенну любов до людей
🇺🇦Блаженніший: У Таїнстві Євхаристії Бог проявляє жертвенну любов до людей
16.04.202512:10
◾️A group of raiders from the OCU village of Vilne in the Dnipropetrovsk region continues its efforts to take away the UOC St. Panteleimon Church from Orthodox Christians.
According to our sources, the illegal re-registration, which the thieves have been pursuing for more than a year, has taken place.
Attempts to take away the House of God from the faithful of the UOC started in 2023. Raiders from the OCU then organized a meeting of the territorial community, at which they decided to "transfer" the church.
The real parish of the church held a meeting of the religious community, at which Christians unanimously confirmed that they were remaining in the UOC.
Despite this, the shrine was re-registered. And the activists of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, according to our information, plan to go further. For now, they are gathering in the premises of the cultural center.
The parish of the church is afraid of provocations.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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According to our sources, the illegal re-registration, which the thieves have been pursuing for more than a year, has taken place.
Attempts to take away the House of God from the faithful of the UOC started in 2023. Raiders from the OCU then organized a meeting of the territorial community, at which they decided to "transfer" the church.
The real parish of the church held a meeting of the religious community, at which Christians unanimously confirmed that they were remaining in the UOC.
Despite this, the shrine was re-registered. And the activists of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, according to our information, plan to go further. For now, they are gathering in the premises of the cultural center.
The parish of the church is afraid of provocations.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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16.04.202508:20
🇬🇧SBU CREATED A CASE AGAINST A UOC PRIEST FOR PROTECTING A CHURCH
🇺🇦СБУ СТВОРИЛА СПРАВУ ПРОТИ СВЯЩЕННИКА УПЦ ЗА ЗАХИСТ ХРАМУ
🇺🇦СБУ СТВОРИЛА СПРАВУ ПРОТИ СВЯЩЕННИКА УПЦ ЗА ЗАХИСТ ХРАМУ
15.04.202516:55
🇬🇧Lavra’s ecclesiarch shares how Venerable Fathers saved two AFU soldiers
🇺🇦Уставщик лаври розповів, як преподобні Печерські врятували двох воїнів ЗСУ
🇺🇦Уставщик лаври розповів, як преподобні Печерські врятували двох воїнів ЗСУ
15.04.202508:59
🇬🇧“Trump’s confessor”: Reports of church persecution in Ukraine are “fake”
🇺🇦«Духівник Трампа» запевнив, що слова про гоніння Церкви в Україні – «фейк»
🇺🇦«Духівник Трампа» запевнив, що слова про гоніння Церкви в Україні – «фейк»
18.04.202512:28
“Holy days are no time for mockery,” Metropolitan Luke emphasizes.
Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol has called on religious leaders to speak out against the LGBT film festival scheduled to take place in Kyiv. “Why is there no united voice from the Orthodox, Catholics, Greek Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Protestants – the voice of reason, faith, and conscience? Why is faith silent when unbelief screams?” the metropolitan wrote on his Telegram channel.
The UOC hierarch pointed out that during a period of intense spiritual significance – Holy Week and Bright Easter – an LGBT film festival will be held in Kyiv, promoting a lifestyle contrary to Christian teaching.
“Good Friday is the day when the entire Christian world remembers Christ’s Sacrificial Death on the Cross for the salvation of humanity from sin. Easter is the celebration of victory over death, a feast of light, purity, and life. To use these days to advance an ideology that contradicts Christian morality is deeply disrespectful not only to believers but to the very spiritual essence of the human person,” he stressed.
According to the bishop, the festival is a blatant affront to followers of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as April is a sacred month for all three faiths – with Easter for Christians, Passover for Jews, and Ramadan for Muslims. Holding a provocative event during such days is an insult to all three religious communities at once.
“When a festival that openly undermines moral foundations takes place in the very heart of the capital during days sacred to millions of believers – Christians, Jews, Muslims – it raises a disturbing and legitimate question: where is the voice of ‘the greatest spiritual leaders of Ukraine from various denominations and religious organizations’? Where are the statements, pastoral appeals, and calls for respect toward the sacred?” the hierarch asks.
Metropolitan Luke also notes that many religious leaders today are “busy supporting legislative initiatives aimed at the legal ‘killing’ of my Mother Church – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – with their silent consent to the forceful and unlawful seizures of its churches, the beating of faithful parishioners defending these churches, and the triumphant labeling of persecution against the UOC as ‘unprecedented religious freedom.’”
“Why is there no united voice from the Orthodox, Catholics, Greek Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Protestants – the voice of reason, faith, and conscience? Why is faith silent when unbelief screams? The world will not become better if we remain silent. It will become better when people of light begin to speak – clearly, courageously, lovingly, but without fear,” Metropolitan Luke adds.
Stressing that his appeal is not a call to hatred or violence, he asks for respect toward millions of believers.
“Do not turn holy days into a battlefield of cultural and spiritual conflict. There are many other dates and venues. But Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are not the time for such events,” the metropolitan concludes.
Source of the info.
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Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol has called on religious leaders to speak out against the LGBT film festival scheduled to take place in Kyiv. “Why is there no united voice from the Orthodox, Catholics, Greek Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Protestants – the voice of reason, faith, and conscience? Why is faith silent when unbelief screams?” the metropolitan wrote on his Telegram channel.
The UOC hierarch pointed out that during a period of intense spiritual significance – Holy Week and Bright Easter – an LGBT film festival will be held in Kyiv, promoting a lifestyle contrary to Christian teaching.
“Good Friday is the day when the entire Christian world remembers Christ’s Sacrificial Death on the Cross for the salvation of humanity from sin. Easter is the celebration of victory over death, a feast of light, purity, and life. To use these days to advance an ideology that contradicts Christian morality is deeply disrespectful not only to believers but to the very spiritual essence of the human person,” he stressed.
According to the bishop, the festival is a blatant affront to followers of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as April is a sacred month for all three faiths – with Easter for Christians, Passover for Jews, and Ramadan for Muslims. Holding a provocative event during such days is an insult to all three religious communities at once.
“When a festival that openly undermines moral foundations takes place in the very heart of the capital during days sacred to millions of believers – Christians, Jews, Muslims – it raises a disturbing and legitimate question: where is the voice of ‘the greatest spiritual leaders of Ukraine from various denominations and religious organizations’? Where are the statements, pastoral appeals, and calls for respect toward the sacred?” the hierarch asks.
Metropolitan Luke also notes that many religious leaders today are “busy supporting legislative initiatives aimed at the legal ‘killing’ of my Mother Church – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – with their silent consent to the forceful and unlawful seizures of its churches, the beating of faithful parishioners defending these churches, and the triumphant labeling of persecution against the UOC as ‘unprecedented religious freedom.’”
“Why is there no united voice from the Orthodox, Catholics, Greek Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and Protestants – the voice of reason, faith, and conscience? Why is faith silent when unbelief screams? The world will not become better if we remain silent. It will become better when people of light begin to speak – clearly, courageously, lovingly, but without fear,” Metropolitan Luke adds.
Stressing that his appeal is not a call to hatred or violence, he asks for respect toward millions of believers.
“Do not turn holy days into a battlefield of cultural and spiritual conflict. There are many other dates and venues. But Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are not the time for such events,” the metropolitan concludes.
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
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18.04.202508:03
Police announced a UOC priest about the application of 24-hour house arrest for him, reported a lawyer Archpriest Mykyta Chekman.
The most interesting thing is that the arrest was ordered at the address where Father Theognost does not actually live. Yes, you guessed it right - it is very far from his temple, which the OCU has set its sights on and which the SBU accused the archimandrite of embezzling.
And this despite the fact that the police and the SBU investigator promised not to initiate the arrest BEFORE Easter Day, so as not to interfere with the priestly service. But, as we see, they decided otherwise, disregarding the rights of the clergyman and the believers, who are actually deprived of their abbot. The investigators' goal is obvious - to prevent the Easter services of Archimandrite Theognost.
In a similar way, the abbot Metropolitan Pavlo was removed from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, placing him under arrest for registration. The same thing was done against Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy. What persecution?
The defender asks to pray for Father Theognost🙏
Source of the info.
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The most interesting thing is that the arrest was ordered at the address where Father Theognost does not actually live. Yes, you guessed it right - it is very far from his temple, which the OCU has set its sights on and which the SBU accused the archimandrite of embezzling.
And this despite the fact that the police and the SBU investigator promised not to initiate the arrest BEFORE Easter Day, so as not to interfere with the priestly service. But, as we see, they decided otherwise, disregarding the rights of the clergyman and the believers, who are actually deprived of their abbot. The investigators' goal is obvious - to prevent the Easter services of Archimandrite Theognost.
In a similar way, the abbot Metropolitan Pavlo was removed from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, placing him under arrest for registration. The same thing was done against Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy. What persecution?
The defender asks to pray for Father Theognost🙏
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
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16.04.202512:10
🇬🇧A TEMPLE OF THE UOC KRYVORYZHIA EPARCHY IS TARGETED BY OCU RAIDERS
🇺🇦ХРАМ КРИВОРІЗЬКОЇ ЄПАРХІЇ УПЦ ПІД ПРИЦІЛОМ РЕЙДЕРІВ ПЦУ
🇺🇦ХРАМ КРИВОРІЗЬКОЇ ЄПАРХІЇ УПЦ ПІД ПРИЦІЛОМ РЕЙДЕРІВ ПЦУ
15.04.202517:51
SBU officers seized three computers.
On April 15, 2025, following searches conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the reception office of the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, and in the chancery of the Kyiv Metropolia, the hierarch recorded a video comment addressing the events.
Metropolitan Anthony confirmed UOJ’s earlier report that SBU officers behaved respectfully during the search.
“The search was conducted in my office as Chancellor of the UOC, in the reception area, and in the chancery of the Kyiv Metropolia. As a result, three computers were seized,” the metropolitan stated.
He thanked all the faithful for their prayers and reminded them that the Church is currently living through Holy Week.
“We are the Church of Christ, and that means we must walk the path of Christ. The path to the Resurrection leads through Golgotha. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I am most grateful for your prayers and wish all of us to pass through this period of Holy Week with spiritual benefit, so that we may joyfully greet the Bright Resurrection of Christ. May the Lord protect you all!” he said.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#religious_discrimination
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On April 15, 2025, following searches conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the reception office of the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, and in the chancery of the Kyiv Metropolia, the hierarch recorded a video comment addressing the events.
Metropolitan Anthony confirmed UOJ’s earlier report that SBU officers behaved respectfully during the search.
“The search was conducted in my office as Chancellor of the UOC, in the reception area, and in the chancery of the Kyiv Metropolia. As a result, three computers were seized,” the metropolitan stated.
He thanked all the faithful for their prayers and reminded them that the Church is currently living through Holy Week.
“We are the Church of Christ, and that means we must walk the path of Christ. The path to the Resurrection leads through Golgotha. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I am most grateful for your prayers and wish all of us to pass through this period of Holy Week with spiritual benefit, so that we may joyfully greet the Bright Resurrection of Christ. May the Lord protect you all!” he said.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#religious_discrimination
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15.04.202515:07
The Sloviansk City District Court has annulled the order appointing a group of prosecutors in the case against the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra.
On April 14, 2025 – Holy Monday – a hearing was held in the Sloviansk City District Court concerning the case of Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, according to the Lavra’s official website.
During the session, the court reviewed a complaint from the defense against the order by the prosecutor’s office leadership appointing a group of prosecutors to the case. Metropolitan Arseniy’s lawyers argued that the prosecution's authority had been established in gross violation of the requirements of Ukraine’s criminal procedural law.
After hearing the arguments from Metropolitan Arseniy, his defense team, and the prosecutor’s objections, the court sided with the defense and annulled the contested order, ruling that the appointed group of prosecutors lacked legal authority to participate in the case against the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra.
At the same session, the court also began reviewing motions from the defense to obtain new evidence which, according to the lawyers, proves the absence of any criminal offense in Metropolitan Arseniy’s actions.
The next hearing in the Sloviansk City District Court is scheduled for April 17, Holy Thursday.
In addition, a session of the Dnipro Court of Appeal is planned for April 21, Bright Monday, to consider the defense’s appeals against the extension of Metropolitan Arseniy’s pre-trial detention until the end of May. The hearing is set to begin at 13:30.
It is worth recalling that Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk has been held in the Dnipro pre-trial detention center since April 24, 2024 – nearly a full year. He is being prosecuted for a sermon in which he criticized the blocking of believers at checkpoints on their way to worship at the Lavra.
Source of the info.
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On April 14, 2025 – Holy Monday – a hearing was held in the Sloviansk City District Court concerning the case of Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, according to the Lavra’s official website.
During the session, the court reviewed a complaint from the defense against the order by the prosecutor’s office leadership appointing a group of prosecutors to the case. Metropolitan Arseniy’s lawyers argued that the prosecution's authority had been established in gross violation of the requirements of Ukraine’s criminal procedural law.
After hearing the arguments from Metropolitan Arseniy, his defense team, and the prosecutor’s objections, the court sided with the defense and annulled the contested order, ruling that the appointed group of prosecutors lacked legal authority to participate in the case against the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra.
At the same session, the court also began reviewing motions from the defense to obtain new evidence which, according to the lawyers, proves the absence of any criminal offense in Metropolitan Arseniy’s actions.
The next hearing in the Sloviansk City District Court is scheduled for April 17, Holy Thursday.
In addition, a session of the Dnipro Court of Appeal is planned for April 21, Bright Monday, to consider the defense’s appeals against the extension of Metropolitan Arseniy’s pre-trial detention until the end of May. The hearing is set to begin at 13:30.
It is worth recalling that Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk has been held in the Dnipro pre-trial detention center since April 24, 2024 – nearly a full year. He is being prosecuted for a sermon in which he criticized the blocking of believers at checkpoints on their way to worship at the Lavra.
Source of the info.
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14.04.202517:28
The Primate of the UOC called on the faithful to prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior and pointed to signs of the approaching end times.
On the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Metropolitan Onuphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, delivered a sermon reminding the faithful of the Second Coming of Christ and urging them to prepare for it.
“Christ the Savior will come into the world once more – not to save, but to carry out righteous judgment. When all the dead will rise, the living will be transformed, and the Last Judgment will take place. Each person will be repaid according to their deeds,” said Metropolitan Onuphry.
According to the Primate, modern humanity rarely reflects on the Second Coming of Christ, despite its inevitability and approaching nearness: “We are nearing the time when the Lord will come. That time is already close. But today, few people speak about it, few think about it.”
He noted that most people are caught up in the pursuit of material goods and worldly glory: “Most people are preoccupied with getting rich, taking something from others, seizing something. It’s a mad pursuit of earthly wealth and fame. But we do not speak of the Lord’s coming for the Last Judgment.”
However, in the Metropolitan’s view, today’s environmental problems are a kind of sign of the coming end: “There is now a phenomenon of a global shortage of fresh water, of clean air... These are the ‘stones’ that proclaim that God will come into the world, and that this world will come to its conclusion. The depletion of natural resources – these too are ‘stones’ that are necessary for life. They also proclaim that God will come to the earth. And after His coming, there will be a new earth and a new heaven.”
In his sermon, Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized that no one will escape the Last Judgment: “This moment is inevitable for everyone. No one can avoid it. You can’t buy your way out of it, you won’t be justified by excuses, and no other means can help you escape it. It will come for each one of us. And everyone will answer for their deeds.”
The Primate called on the faithful to keep this in mind and to align their lives with God’s commandments, “so as not to have the kind of errors for which one must pay so dearly later.”
Speaking about the Feast of the Entry into Jerusalem, Metropolitan Onuphry stressed that the only way to reach the Heavenly Jerusalem is through humility: “It’s important that we travel to this Jerusalem not on the chariot of human pride, but on a donkey, which is a symbol of humility. The Lord could have chosen white horses or anything else and entered in glory, but He sat on a donkey. It is an image of humility.”
Source of the info.
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On the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Metropolitan Onuphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, delivered a sermon reminding the faithful of the Second Coming of Christ and urging them to prepare for it.
“Christ the Savior will come into the world once more – not to save, but to carry out righteous judgment. When all the dead will rise, the living will be transformed, and the Last Judgment will take place. Each person will be repaid according to their deeds,” said Metropolitan Onuphry.
According to the Primate, modern humanity rarely reflects on the Second Coming of Christ, despite its inevitability and approaching nearness: “We are nearing the time when the Lord will come. That time is already close. But today, few people speak about it, few think about it.”
He noted that most people are caught up in the pursuit of material goods and worldly glory: “Most people are preoccupied with getting rich, taking something from others, seizing something. It’s a mad pursuit of earthly wealth and fame. But we do not speak of the Lord’s coming for the Last Judgment.”
However, in the Metropolitan’s view, today’s environmental problems are a kind of sign of the coming end: “There is now a phenomenon of a global shortage of fresh water, of clean air... These are the ‘stones’ that proclaim that God will come into the world, and that this world will come to its conclusion. The depletion of natural resources – these too are ‘stones’ that are necessary for life. They also proclaim that God will come to the earth. And after His coming, there will be a new earth and a new heaven.”
In his sermon, Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized that no one will escape the Last Judgment: “This moment is inevitable for everyone. No one can avoid it. You can’t buy your way out of it, you won’t be justified by excuses, and no other means can help you escape it. It will come for each one of us. And everyone will answer for their deeds.”
The Primate called on the faithful to keep this in mind and to align their lives with God’s commandments, “so as not to have the kind of errors for which one must pay so dearly later.”
Speaking about the Feast of the Entry into Jerusalem, Metropolitan Onuphry stressed that the only way to reach the Heavenly Jerusalem is through humility: “It’s important that we travel to this Jerusalem not on the chariot of human pride, but on a donkey, which is a symbol of humility. The Lord could have chosen white horses or anything else and entered in glory, but He sat on a donkey. It is an image of humility.”
Source of the info.
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18.04.202512:28
🇬🇧UOC hierarch appeals to Ukrainian religious leaders over LGBT film festival
🇺🇦Ієрарх УПЦ звернувся до релігійних лідерів України через ЛГБТ-кінофестиваль
🇺🇦Ієрарх УПЦ звернувся до релігійних лідерів України через ЛГБТ-кінофестиваль
18.04.202508:03
🇬🇧THE ARREST WILL BE CONSIDERED ON THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST. NEWS ON THE SBU CASE AGAINST ARCHIMANDRITE THEOGNOST
🇺🇦РОЗГЛЯДАТИ АРЕШТ БУДУТЬ У ДЕНЬ РОЗП'ЯТТЯ ХРИСТА. НОВИНИ ПО СПРАВІ СБУ ПРОТИ АРХІМАНДРИТА ФЕОГНОСТА
🇺🇦РОЗГЛЯДАТИ АРЕШТ БУДУТЬ У ДЕНЬ РОЗП'ЯТТЯ ХРИСТА. НОВИНИ ПО СПРАВІ СБУ ПРОТИ АРХІМАНДРИТА ФЕОГНОСТА
16.04.202511:06
🇬🇧PRAYER FEATURE OF OF THE UOC PARISHIONERS IN CHERKASSY
🇺🇦МОЛИТОВНИЙ ПОДВИГ ВІРНИХ УПЦ У ЧЕРКАСАХ
The parishioners of the UOC St. Andrew the First-Called temple in Cherkassy perform a prayer feat every day.
The prayer of Orthodox Christians lasts all night.
The faithful of the UOC come to protect their shrine from the OCU raiders.
2 UOC churches in Cherkassy have now become targets of Epiphany thieves.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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🇺🇦МОЛИТОВНИЙ ПОДВИГ ВІРНИХ УПЦ У ЧЕРКАСАХ
The parishioners of the UOC St. Andrew the First-Called temple in Cherkassy perform a prayer feat every day.
The prayer of Orthodox Christians lasts all night.
The faithful of the UOC come to protect their shrine from the OCU raiders.
2 UOC churches in Cherkassy have now become targets of Epiphany thieves.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#truth_about_Ukraine
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15.04.202517:51
🇬🇧UOC Chancellor shares details of SBU searches at Kyiv Metropolia
🇺🇦Управління справами УПЦ розповіло подробиці про обшуки СБУ в Київській митрополії.
🇺🇦Управління справами УПЦ розповіло подробиці про обшуки СБУ в Київській митрополії.
15.04.202515:07
🇬🇧Court declares prosecutors' powers in Metropolitan Arseniy's case illegal
🇺🇦Суд визнав незаконними повноваження прокурорів у справі митрополита Арсенія
🇺🇦Суд визнав незаконними повноваження прокурорів у справі митрополита Арсенія
14.04.202517:28
🇬🇧Metropolitan Onuphry: The time of Christ’s return is near
🇺🇦Митрополит Онуфрій: Уже наближається час приходу Христа
🇺🇦Митрополит Онуфрій: Уже наближається час приходу Христа
18.04.202511:33
Metropolitan Onuphry urged the faithful to partake of the Holy Mysteries with reverence and repentance to receive blessings for both earthly and eternal life.
In his sermon on Maundy Thursday, during the service at the St. Agapit Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry spoke about the profound significance of the Sacrament of Eucharist, the press service of the UOC reports.
His Beatitude noted that the Eucharist is not only a remembrance of the Last Supper but also the main testimony of Divine love. He reminded of the Savior's words: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
These words, said His Beatitude, remind us that through Holy Communion we receive the “pledge of eternal life and deification”.
“The Lord gave us His Divine Body in the form of bread, and His Blood in the form of wine, to make us partakers of the Divine nature,” said His Beatitude. He explained that by receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, we unite with Him, become part of His Church, and gain strength for spiritual growth.
Metropolitan Onuphry urged the faithful to approach the Sacrament of Eucharist with reverence and repentance, to feel the depth of Divine love and receive blessings for earthly and eternal life.
Source of the info.
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In his sermon on Maundy Thursday, during the service at the St. Agapit Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry spoke about the profound significance of the Sacrament of Eucharist, the press service of the UOC reports.
His Beatitude noted that the Eucharist is not only a remembrance of the Last Supper but also the main testimony of Divine love. He reminded of the Savior's words: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
These words, said His Beatitude, remind us that through Holy Communion we receive the “pledge of eternal life and deification”.
“The Lord gave us His Divine Body in the form of bread, and His Blood in the form of wine, to make us partakers of the Divine nature,” said His Beatitude. He explained that by receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, we unite with Him, become part of His Church, and gain strength for spiritual growth.
Metropolitan Onuphry urged the faithful to approach the Sacrament of Eucharist with reverence and repentance, to feel the depth of Divine love and receive blessings for earthly and eternal life.
Source of the info.
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16.04.202514:12
🇬🇧UOC parishes in Europe donate funds for treatment of Ukrainian soldiers
🇺🇦Приходи УПЦ в Європі передали кошти для лікування воїнів ЗСУ
With the donated funds, medical personnel purchased surgical equipment.
Parishes of the Western European Vicariate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have collected and donated funds to a military hospital to support the treatment and rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen, according to the UOC’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR).
With the donated funds, medical personnel purchased surgical equipment, an electric massage table for rehabilitation, and two vacuum wound therapy devices.
“This charitable aid in support of Ukraine’s defenders was carried out with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine,” the statement reads.
Source of the info.
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🇺🇦Приходи УПЦ в Європі передали кошти для лікування воїнів ЗСУ
With the donated funds, medical personnel purchased surgical equipment.
Parishes of the Western European Vicariate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have collected and donated funds to a military hospital to support the treatment and rehabilitation of Ukrainian servicemen, according to the UOC’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR).
With the donated funds, medical personnel purchased surgical equipment, an electric massage table for rehabilitation, and two vacuum wound therapy devices.
“This charitable aid in support of Ukraine’s defenders was carried out with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine,” the statement reads.
Source of the info.
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16.04.202508:20
The SBU is demonstrating some particularly cynical Bolshevik shame.
On their official resources, the security forces reported they had “exposed” the rector of a UOC temple in the Kyiv region, who had “privatized the church.”
According to materials of the SBU, the priest “initially “donated” the church buildings to his sister. After acquiring the rights to this property, the cleric's relative transferred it to a charitable fund controlled by the rector of the church."
This epic of the security forces ends with the fact that 2 criminal cases were opened against the priest:
🚫Part 5 of Article 191 (embezzlement, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it by abuse of official position, committed on an especially large scale);
🚫Part 1 of Article 366 (official forgery).
The clergyman is threatened with 12 years in prison.
❗️And now about the inside of this farce.
We will tell you about the facts in this story, indicating that the SBU is just trying to help the OCU raiders in taking the church away from Christians.
According to our information, a case was opened against the rector of the UOC St. Archangel Michael Church in the village of Protsiv, Kyiv region, Father Theognost.
Back in 2023, local activists of the OCU decided to take the shrine away from Orthodox Christians.
On June 3, 2023, a group of raiders gathered at a meeting of the territorial community, at which they decided to “transfer” the shrine to the OCU.
On the same day, the real parish of the temple held a meeting of the religious community, at which it unanimously confirmed that it would remain in the UOC.
Despite the will of the parishioners, the religious community was illegally re-registered with the OCU.
And at this stage, Epiphany's raiders learned that they still could not take the temple away. After all, the shrine has long been owned by the foundation.
Thanks to this, Orthodox Christians were able to continue to pray peacefully.
But, as we see, after 2 years, the SBU decided to “help” the raiders and thieves. They claim that the temple belongs to some abstract “community.” What is not Bolshevik “property of the working people” to you?
Now they are trying to create a case against the priest who completely legally transferred the shrine to the property of the Orthodox foundation. And protected the church from the raider seizure by OCU activists.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#religious_discrimination
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On their official resources, the security forces reported they had “exposed” the rector of a UOC temple in the Kyiv region, who had “privatized the church.”
“This concerns a temple building and its outbuildings with an area of almost 500 m² in one of the villages of the Boryspil district. The total value of the property is over 7 million UAH. All this real estate belongs to the local community.”
According to materials of the SBU, the priest “initially “donated” the church buildings to his sister. After acquiring the rights to this property, the cleric's relative transferred it to a charitable fund controlled by the rector of the church."
This epic of the security forces ends with the fact that 2 criminal cases were opened against the priest:
🚫Part 5 of Article 191 (embezzlement, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it by abuse of official position, committed on an especially large scale);
🚫Part 1 of Article 366 (official forgery).
The clergyman is threatened with 12 years in prison.
❗️And now about the inside of this farce.
We will tell you about the facts in this story, indicating that the SBU is just trying to help the OCU raiders in taking the church away from Christians.
According to our information, a case was opened against the rector of the UOC St. Archangel Michael Church in the village of Protsiv, Kyiv region, Father Theognost.
Back in 2023, local activists of the OCU decided to take the shrine away from Orthodox Christians.
On June 3, 2023, a group of raiders gathered at a meeting of the territorial community, at which they decided to “transfer” the shrine to the OCU.
On the same day, the real parish of the temple held a meeting of the religious community, at which it unanimously confirmed that it would remain in the UOC.
Despite the will of the parishioners, the religious community was illegally re-registered with the OCU.
And at this stage, Epiphany's raiders learned that they still could not take the temple away. After all, the shrine has long been owned by the foundation.
Thanks to this, Orthodox Christians were able to continue to pray peacefully.
But, as we see, after 2 years, the SBU decided to “help” the raiders and thieves. They claim that the temple belongs to some abstract “community.” What is not Bolshevik “property of the working people” to you?
Now they are trying to create a case against the priest who completely legally transferred the shrine to the property of the Orthodox foundation. And protected the church from the raider seizure by OCU activists.
Source of the info.
#persecution_UOC
#religious_discrimination
Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine
15.04.202516:55
According to Archimandrite Polycarp, after prayers to the Venerable Fathers, two volunteers survived circumstances in which they were expected to perish.
Archimandrite Polycarp (Linenko), ecclesiarch of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, spoke in an interview with the DNK YouTube channel about the intercession of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves.
Regarding the current situation surrounding the caves – where a commission from the Ministry of Culture is conducting “examinations” of relics – he said, “At the moment, unfortunately, there is no access to the caves.” He declined to comment further on the situation, adding, “The venerable ones are resting from us, I’ve come to realize.”
At the same time, he noted, “The Venerable Fathers hear us even from afar – it's truly incomprehensible.”
“Two young men came to me at the beginning of Great Lent in 2022 and said they were going to volunteer for the army. I gave them Communion and anointed them with holy oil in the caves, and they went off to war,” the monk recounted.
In August of the same year, the soldiers were staying in a house in the Kharkiv region when a local resident informed the enemy of their location. The house was subsequently bombed.
“By a miracle of God, they managed to escape – one of them sustained only a concussion. They all survived. As they themselves say: ‘We are grateful to the Venerable Fathers of the Caves for giving us another chance to live in this world,’” Archimandrite Polycarp shared.
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
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Archimandrite Polycarp (Linenko), ecclesiarch of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, spoke in an interview with the DNK YouTube channel about the intercession of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves.
Regarding the current situation surrounding the caves – where a commission from the Ministry of Culture is conducting “examinations” of relics – he said, “At the moment, unfortunately, there is no access to the caves.” He declined to comment further on the situation, adding, “The venerable ones are resting from us, I’ve come to realize.”
At the same time, he noted, “The Venerable Fathers hear us even from afar – it's truly incomprehensible.”
“Two young men came to me at the beginning of Great Lent in 2022 and said they were going to volunteer for the army. I gave them Communion and anointed them with holy oil in the caves, and they went off to war,” the monk recounted.
In August of the same year, the soldiers were staying in a house in the Kharkiv region when a local resident informed the enemy of their location. The house was subsequently bombed.
“By a miracle of God, they managed to escape – one of them sustained only a concussion. They all survived. As they themselves say: ‘We are grateful to the Venerable Fathers of the Caves for giving us another chance to live in this world,’” Archimandrite Polycarp shared.
Source of the info.
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15.04.202508:59
Pastor Mark Burns stated that he met with religious leaders in Ukraine, and none of them mentioned any persecution.
U.S. pastor Mark Burns, whom Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman referred to as “Trump’s spiritual advisor,” said in an interview with Kyiv Independent that any claims of Church persecution in Ukraine are “fake.” According to Burns, the religious leaders he met during his visit to Ukraine made no such complaints.
“And so my support for Ukraine is a call to every Republican, every conservative, every American, and those around the world who, like me, have been brainwashed by fake news media about Ukraine. For instance, fake news suggested that Ukraine hated churches, Ukraine hated ministries, that they intentionally destroyed ministries. Well, that is a bold-faced lie, because I was in the midst of some of Ukraine's greatest spiritual leaders from all different sects, religious organizations, in one room in Kyiv, and they all have the same common ground – they have the right to practice their faith in Ukraine,” Burns stated.
The pastor arrived in Ukraine on March 30 at the invitation of Moshe Azman. Under the supervision of the Presidential Office, he was taken on a guided visit to Bucha and Irpin and held two official meetings: one with Andriy Yermak at the Presidential Office, and another with representatives of religious organizations. The confessional leaders present assured the pastor that Ukraine is a model of religious freedom. Notably, representatives of the biggest denomination in Ukraine – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) – were not included in the meeting with Burns.
As a reminder, after Donald Trump’s election, the newly appointed U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, stated that while Ukrainian authorities speak of religious freedom, they are in fact closing churches.
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine
U.S. pastor Mark Burns, whom Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman referred to as “Trump’s spiritual advisor,” said in an interview with Kyiv Independent that any claims of Church persecution in Ukraine are “fake.” According to Burns, the religious leaders he met during his visit to Ukraine made no such complaints.
“And so my support for Ukraine is a call to every Republican, every conservative, every American, and those around the world who, like me, have been brainwashed by fake news media about Ukraine. For instance, fake news suggested that Ukraine hated churches, Ukraine hated ministries, that they intentionally destroyed ministries. Well, that is a bold-faced lie, because I was in the midst of some of Ukraine's greatest spiritual leaders from all different sects, religious organizations, in one room in Kyiv, and they all have the same common ground – they have the right to practice their faith in Ukraine,” Burns stated.
The pastor arrived in Ukraine on March 30 at the invitation of Moshe Azman. Under the supervision of the Presidential Office, he was taken on a guided visit to Bucha and Irpin and held two official meetings: one with Andriy Yermak at the Presidential Office, and another with representatives of religious organizations. The confessional leaders present assured the pastor that Ukraine is a model of religious freedom. Notably, representatives of the biggest denomination in Ukraine – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) – were not included in the meeting with Burns.
As a reminder, after Donald Trump’s election, the newly appointed U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, stated that while Ukrainian authorities speak of religious freedom, they are in fact closing churches.
Source of the info.
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14.04.202515:06
According to Bortnyk, UOC believers “feel a threat to their Orthodox Christian identity, which they have defended for a significant part of their lives.”
On April 9, 2025, Doctor of Theology and professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary (KTAAS) Serhii Bortnyk delivered a lecture during the webinar “Myths and Prejudices on the Path to the Unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.” His presentation, focused on the current state of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and challenges in ecclesiastical communication, was published on the website of the Academic Initiative Foundation.
In his address, Bortnyk touched on key theological and practical aspects of the ongoing church crisis in Ukraine.
"The current religious conflict in Ukraine – both at the state-church and interjurisdictional levels – can be described in theological terms of belonging to the true Church of Christ," he noted.
According to Bortnyk, the UOC is currently referred to by many as a “silent Church,” which is often seen as a weakness. However, he argues that this “silence” may have deep theological foundations, drawing a parallel to Christ’s silence before Pilate. “The clearest Gospel illustration of such silence is Christ’s own response to Pilate,” the theologian explained, referring to the episode in which the Savior remained silent in the face of accusations.
"If a person has experienced prayerful elevation, an encounter with truth, and the presence of grace in the Church, it is not easy to convince them that the Church in which they had this experience is hostile to the country and should be banned," Bortnyk emphasized.
He highlighted the importance of understanding the motivations of UOC believers, for whom remaining in their church community has deep existential significance. Many of them, he said, “feel a threat to their Orthodox Christian identity, which they have defended for much of their lives.”
As a way forward, Serhii Bortnyk proposed dialogue – “a dialogue in which each side of the conflict could reflect on its own convictions and those of the opposing side.”
In his view, building such dialogue requires work in two main areas. First, discussing what the Church is and where its boundaries lie – who can be considered members of the Church and who cannot. Second, honestly assessing which aspects of church life come from God, and which are purely human, including political influences.
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
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On April 9, 2025, Doctor of Theology and professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary (KTAAS) Serhii Bortnyk delivered a lecture during the webinar “Myths and Prejudices on the Path to the Unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy.” His presentation, focused on the current state of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and challenges in ecclesiastical communication, was published on the website of the Academic Initiative Foundation.
In his address, Bortnyk touched on key theological and practical aspects of the ongoing church crisis in Ukraine.
"The current religious conflict in Ukraine – both at the state-church and interjurisdictional levels – can be described in theological terms of belonging to the true Church of Christ," he noted.
According to Bortnyk, the UOC is currently referred to by many as a “silent Church,” which is often seen as a weakness. However, he argues that this “silence” may have deep theological foundations, drawing a parallel to Christ’s silence before Pilate. “The clearest Gospel illustration of such silence is Christ’s own response to Pilate,” the theologian explained, referring to the episode in which the Savior remained silent in the face of accusations.
"If a person has experienced prayerful elevation, an encounter with truth, and the presence of grace in the Church, it is not easy to convince them that the Church in which they had this experience is hostile to the country and should be banned," Bortnyk emphasized.
He highlighted the importance of understanding the motivations of UOC believers, for whom remaining in their church community has deep existential significance. Many of them, he said, “feel a threat to their Orthodox Christian identity, which they have defended for much of their lives.”
As a way forward, Serhii Bortnyk proposed dialogue – “a dialogue in which each side of the conflict could reflect on its own convictions and those of the opposing side.”
In his view, building such dialogue requires work in two main areas. First, discussing what the Church is and where its boundaries lie – who can be considered members of the Church and who cannot. Second, honestly assessing which aspects of church life come from God, and which are purely human, including political influences.
Source of the info.
#truth_about_Ukraine
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