Met. Theodosiy’s Appeal to Pat. Bartholomew Circulated at OSCE

OSCE. Photo: Cherkasy Eparchy

CHERKASY — On Oct. 16, 2025, at a session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), human rights advocates circulated an appeal by Met. Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv addressed to Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople. The press service of the Cherkasy Eparchy reported the development.

In his appeal, the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) called on the head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to respond to the involvement of Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) clergy in the violent seizure of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy. Met. Theodosiy stressed that Pat. Bartholomew’s granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly to this structure has led to widespread violations of the rights of the faithful of the UOC.

The Metropolitan cited specific examples of crimes committed by representatives of the OCU, including the theft of liturgical property and its subsequent public use.

The appeal was presented as part of a submission by the human rights organization Public Advocacy, which holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The document was distributed among diplomats participating in the OSCE meeting and entered into the organization’s official documentation system.

Thus, for the first time, criticism of Pat. Bartholomew’s actions in connection with responsibility for mass human rights violations in Ukraine has received an international diplomatic platform.

Previously, UOJ reported Met. Theodosiy of the canonical UOC had sent a detailed public letter to Pat. Bartholomew, urging him to revoke the Tomos of the OCU and to end persecution of the canonical Church.

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