Rally in support of UOC held in Georgia
Posters in defense of priests-prisoners of conscience. Photo: Izvestia
On September 1, a protest took place in the capital of Georgia against the recently adopted law in Ukraine, which effectively allows for the banning of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), reports Izvestia.
One of the participants read an appeal to Orthodox believers in Ukraine: "Dear brothers and sisters! We are addressing you from Georgia, one of the oldest Christian countries. We care about the fate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church because there is one universal Orthodox Church of Christ, in which we are all united, regardless of nationality and citizenship."
The protesters emphasized that Ukrainian Orthodox holy sites are of great significance to believers in Georgia as well. According to the participants, the law passed by the Verkhovna Rada has "unsettled" the Orthodox world, as it threatens not only Ukrainian believers but also all of Orthodoxy, including the Georgian Orthodox Church. The demonstrators stated that they consider such actions by the Ukrainian authorities to be hostile towards the entire Orthodox community.
The participants brought posters with slogans calling to protect the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and to free prisoners of conscience in Ukraine. One of the posters depicted UOC clergy who have been subjected to legal persecution by the Ukrainian authorities.
As reported by UOJ, a similar rally in support of the UOC and Orthodox journalists was held earlier in Moldova.
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