Photo: donbass.live
Holy Synod of Moscow Patriarchate urged Kiev to stop persecuting believers of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Interfax news agency reported. Synod stated this on the meeting that was held in Moscow on February 26. The document notes that the authorities subject the citizens, who do not want to support schismatics, to harassment and pressure.
Synod asked local Orthodox churches to pray for the "persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church." Russian Orthodox Church also believes that international community should pay close attention to human rights violations and assess Kiev’s unceremonious intervention in the affairs of the church.
Nobody has any doubts that the authorities are trying to destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They recommended local administrations and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the transfer of UOC communities "to schism". The authorities are threatening to take away the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s largest monasteries and historical shrines, Kiev-Pechersk and Pochaev Lavras.
There was a surge of violence against the priests and parishioners of the UOC because of the iniquity happening. Dozens of temples captured by force with the assistance of paramilitary groups. There are beatings of the clergy and believers of the canonical church, who are trying to protect their shrines.
Russkiy Mir
