The Patriarch of Moscow and Kirill addressed heads of the Local Orthodox Churches, as well as representatives of international organizations, expressing his outrage over the alleged “anti-religious terror” targeting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine.
As RISU reports with reference to the press service of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill was angered by the SBU’s raid of the Sviatohirsk Lavra and the arrest of its abbot, Metropolitan Arseniy, who is suspected of exposing before the enemy the locations of army units. Quote: “The multi-day custody remand of Metropolitan Arseniy on artificial, far-fetched grounds is yet another punitive measure targeting public speakers of the UOC and its media resources.”
Gundyaev also mentioned the criminal case against the “Union of Orthodox Journalists” and complained about the draft law on religious organizations, the purpose of which he said is the “actual ban of the UOC.”
At the same time, in his appeals to international institutions, Kirill also urged “to pay attention to the listed facts of human rights abuse in Ukraine and to undertake efforts to protect the right to freedom of religion of believers and communities of the UOC.”
The Moscow Patriarch appealed to leaders of a number of Local Churches, as well as to the leadership of the UN, OSCE, and Council of Europe.
