Rep. Bacon: 'I Don't Think the UOC Takes Orders from Russia'

Rep. Don Bacon. Photo: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a post on X on Thursday, in reply to Ben Langlois (Luigi) - who serves as Secretary for the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco - Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said, "I don’t think the Ukrainian Orthodox Church takes orders from Russia… but I said the Russian Orthodox Church does take orders from Putin."

Langlois replied, "Well good thing zero of the jurisdictions in attendance for the event we had in DC take any orders from Russia. ROCOR is self-governing. Our event had nothing to do with Moscow, so your point is moot. Our event was explicitly and exclusively regarding the UOC and the persecution they face."

The Society of St. John was not on the Hill to speak about the war or ending aid for Ukraine, as noted by Director of Government Affairs Catherine Whiteford, but rather about religious freedom and the persecution that the UOC is facing. The fact that the UOC does not take orders from Russia is much of what the Society was hoping to convey to members of Congress. 

This interaction with Rep. Bacon came after an earlier reply of his to UOJ-USA's interview with Langlois, which took place the night before the Society's Day of Action, in which Rep. Bacon said, "I’ve had 'American' Orthodox thank me for my support to Ukraine and concerns on ROC. Any church that takes orders from Putin is suspect."

To this, Langlois replied, "Hello Congressman, I noticed you didn’t reply to the original video or my comment on your post yesterday. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church doesn’t take orders from Putin, that’s nonsense. Met. Onuphry literally called the invasion the 'sin of Cain.' In fact, the United Nations investigated and determined the UOC is indeed being persecuted, are they taking orders from Putin as well? Additionally, I don’t know what 'American Orthodox' you have been talking to, but even the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church in America has condemned this persecution, surely, he is also an agent of Russia?"

On Tuesday, as members of the Society of St. John walked around Capitol Hill holding close to 100 meetings with members of Congress and their respective staff members, Rep. Bacon chose hostility over hospitality. When they entered his office to drop off information about the persecution of the UOC, he asked if the church is a Russian spy operation. He later took to X, saying he told off lobbyists with the Society of St. John who he said, "did not like hearing the truth."

Previously, UOJ reported that multiple U.S Representatives had showed support for the plight of the UOC.

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