Armenian Church calls on Ukrainian authorities to end persecution of UOC

Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. Photo: Panorama.am

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, urged the Ukrainian authorities not to violate the historically established unity of the Orthodox community following the adoption of Bill 8371 by the Verkhovna Rada, which effectively bans the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This was reported by his press secretary, Father Isaiya Artenyan.

"The Catholicos of All Armenians expressed his position in view of the alarming issue regarding the religious life in Ukraine when the law on the protection of the constitutional order in the activities of religious organizations was still under development. Unfortunately, the well-reasonable concerns expressed by the Armenian Church and other Churches about the possible undesirable consequences of the ratification of this bill and its negative impact on the spiritual and canonical life, as well as on the Orthodox population, fell on deaf ears," Artenyan noted.

Karekin II called on Ukrainian authorities and lawmakers "not to violate the historically established unity of the Orthodox community, to protect the rights of existing religious communities, believers, and clergy, and to respect the inviolability of holy sites."

As the UOJ previously reported, Bishop Theodosiy of Seattle of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) wrote an appeal based on the Holy Scriptures, in which the adoption of Bill 8371 with the aim of destroying the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was described as an act of lawlessness and a violation of global constitutional laws.

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