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SERBIAN CHURCH STANDS WITH THE PERSECUTED UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

Belgrade ~ August 23, 2024

His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije and the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church sent a fraternal letter of support to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine as the Ukrainian state continues to ramp up its persecution of the Orthodox Church.

On Tuesday, August 20, Ukrainian Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of Bill 8371, which is aimed at the banning of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church across the country. According to the bill, 9 months after it is signed into law by President Zelensky, courts can begin shutting UOC churches and monasteries.

The banning of the Church “repeats the Golgotha scenario and crucifies it on a new cross of suffering, while returning Ukrainian society as a whole to the time of Roman persecutions of the Church of Christ” His Holiness writes.

The Serbian Orthodox Church reports:

In the Synodal letter, His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije emphasizes that he not only has an obligation but also a strong personal need to inform his brother and co-celebrant, His Beatitude Onuphry, that the news of the Ukrainian Parliament adopting a law providing for the prohibition of the autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been received with deep bitterness in the Local Church of St. Sava.

Given that in not-so-distant history, during World War II, the Serbian Orthodox Church was banned and persecuted, we experientially feel the truth of the sacred words of the Apostle Paul in your case that if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor 12:26), Patriarch Porfirije reminded and emphasized that the work and mission of our Church was then prevented by an openly totalitarian, criminal regime of a puppet fascist creation, while, to make the tragedy greater, today the sister Church in Ukraine is being persecuted by a declaratively democratic government made up of its own compatriots, which makes the situation difficult and incomparably more absurd.

With anxiety in our hearts, dear brother in Christ, we feel that on the example of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a new totalitarianism is being introduced in which not even the maxim of St. Constantine the Equal-to-the-Apostles applies, which is one of the basic generally accepted social principles by which we live, and which states: Let each one believe as his heart desires, Patriarch Porfirije conveyed and concluded that it is clear that the degradation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to a banned organization further legalizes the already permanent persecution, arrest, and harassment of its sacred hierarchy and faithful people, enables further seizure of its property or, more accurately, repeats the Golgotha scenario and crucifies it on a new cross of suffering, while returning Ukrainian society as a whole to the time of Roman persecutions of the Church of Christ.

Our prayers, our hopes, our thoughts, but also our sincere wishes that those in authority turn away from their folly to the knowledge of justice and truth, as well as for peace, brotherly love, and harmony to reign again in your homeland, are constantly raised before the face of the Lord from every heart of the Serbian people, always loyal to you, in whose unreserved support and help you should never doubt. With hope for the most favorable and just resolution of the difficult situation and with prayer to the greatest Sufferer in all worlds, our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you and the fullness of our beloved Ukrainian Orthodox Church strength, faith, love, and patience to carry your cross until the Paschal dawn, we send you brotherly greetings and the love of our hearts, Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia emphasized at the end of the letter to his brother and co-celebrant in Christ, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.

Source: Orthochristian.com

PÜHTITSA ABBESS RESPONDS TO ESTONIA'S DEMANDS TO CHANGE CHURCH JURISDICTION

Kuremäe, Estonia, November 1, 2024

Abbess of the Pükhtitsa Dormition Convent in Estonia, Mother Philareta (Kalacheva), has written an address to Minister of Internal Affairs Lauri Läänemets, responding to the state’s demands that the monastery and the Estonian Church leave the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Pükhtitsa was founded in 1891, with assistance from St. John of Kronstadt. Besides the Pskov Caves Monastery, it is the only holy habitation to have never closed during the long decades of atheist Bolshevik rule. However, now the monastery faces the possibility of closure because of its canonical status. Though on the territory of Estonia, it is a stavropegial monastery, meaning it falls directly under the episcopal oversight of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Meanwhile, the Estonian Orthodox Church is a self-governing body within the Moscow Patriarchate.

In her new appeal, Mother Philareta presents arguments explaining why the monastery, on its own initiative, cannot and has no right to renounce its current stavropegial status or appeal to Church authorities to change its jurisdiction and transfer to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, reads a summary of the lengthy address on the site of Pükhtitsa Monastery.

There have been two Orthodox jurisdictions in Estonia since the Patriarchate of Constantinople established a structure parallel to the already existing Church under the Moscow Patriarchate in 1996. Constantinople’s Estonian Church has proposed the creation of a vicariate to subsume the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Estonian Orthodox Church, but the latter has rejected this option. Meanwhile, Minister Läänemets recently submitted a bill to ban the Moscow Patriarchate.

The very mystery of monasticism and the vows taken during tonsure (poverty, chastity, obedience) make it impossible for the monastery’s inhabitants to arbitrarily and willfully change their way of life, Abbess Philareta writes in her appeal.

Based on this, in the context of the state’s demands issue, the alleged granting of voting rights to people under obedience regarding the choice of jurisdiction directly contradicts both the very concept of monasticism and the vows made by the nuns, which are based on renunciation of the world, the abbess explains.

The monastery's way of life is determined by its statutes, which prohibits an unauthorized change of jurisdiction. Examples from the monastery’s history show that changes in its jurisdiction occurred exclusively due to specific historical and state changes and were always carried out by decision of the Church authorities, the head of the monastery explains.

Further, neither the Russian Orthodox Church’s nor the monastery’s statutes allow the Patriarch to unilaterally change its jurisdiction, Mother notes. “Such a decision is not made unilaterally but requires collegiality and presupposes a sequence of canonical-legal Church events.”

The abbess’ appeal expresses confidence that Estonian authorities will properly evaluate the monastery’s commitment to observing the fundamental norms of Church life, given that the state has never had and does not have any complaints about the actions of its inhabitants.

Source: Orthochristian.com

ROCOR CONDEMNS VIOLENT ATTACK ON CHERKASY CATHEDRAL

Berlin, November 1, 2024

The Diocese of Germany of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is calling for increased prayers for the confessors of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Herald of the German Diocese Telegram Channel published a statement on Wednesday referring to the bloody and belligerent seizure of the Cherkasy cathedral on October 17, which put several people, including His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy, in the hospital.

The diocese always raises its voice in defense of persecuted believers, the statement reads:

Today we offer our prayers and sighs for the new confessors for Christ—the Orthodox Christians of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

We note with sorrow that on October 17, 2024, armed men seized and looted the cathedral in Cherkasy. His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosius and the faithful, who stood up for the defense of the shrines and courageously, by their deeds, confessing faith in Christ and faithfulness to canonical Orthodoxy, were beaten.

“We all saw how this Thursday believers were expelled from the cathedral in Cherkasy, when this terrible crowd took weapons and sticks to beat the people who built this cathedral, who had been praying there for many years. They also beat our bishop Metropolitan Theodosius... I don’t know what possessed this man who beat the bishop on the head with a stick...” said the Chancellor of the UOC, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary.

We call upon the faithful of the German Diocese to pray fervently for the confessors of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church!

The German Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will continue its important service in witnessing to the persecution of Christians, which has been one of its main missions since its founding. For many decades, the diocese has tirelessly raised its voice in defense of believers who are persecuted around the world. Metropolitan Mark addressed letters to the Conference of Orthodox Bishops of Germany and the Catholic Church.

His Eminence Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany has addressed the situation in Ukraine a number of times in statements, interviews, and homilies.

In a sermon from March 2022, he called on all Christians to overcome hate despite the war, and to maintain Church unity. In an interview that May, he spoke about how the war is unjustified and negatively affecting the Russian Church and must stop immediately. In an interview in May 2023, he spoke about the Ukrainian government’s desire to completely shut down the Church. In another interview, he compared the current-day authorities to Lenin and Stalin.

Other hierarchs and clergy from various Local Churches, including the clergy of ROCOR’s Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America, have also spoken out in the aftermath of the Cherkasy tragedy.

Source: Orthochristian.com

MONK STILL UNABLE TO WALK AFTER BRUTAL ATTACK ON CHERKASY CATHEDRAL

Cherkasy, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, November 14, 2024

A monk severely injured during the violent assault on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church cathedral in Cherkasy continues to face a difficult road to recovery, church officials reported Wednesday.

Monk Nektary, who was among those attacked when assailants of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” stormed the Archangel Michael Cathedral on October 17, has temporarily been discharged from the hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries. However, doctors say he still requires another critical operation before he will be able to walk again, reports the Cherkasy Diocese.

Dozens, including His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherksy, were injured in the attack, which has been roundly condemned by hierarchs from various Local Churches.

The surgery cannot be performed immediately due to Fr. Nektary’s abnormal hemoglobin levels, making the procedure too risky. He will continue receiving outpatient treatment while doctors are monitoring his condition. The diocese asks for continued prayer for Fr. Nektary, saying it’s only after the upcoming surgery that he’ll be able to walk.

Source: Orthochristian.com

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