U.S. Reps. Show Solidarity with Plight of UOC
As part of the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco’s Day of Action on Capitol Hill, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) gave pointed remarks during a press conference.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a historic day that could accurately be described as a “first” in the history of Orthodox Christianity in America, nearly 200 faithful from around the U.S. gathered in the nation’s capital on Tuesday to advocate for the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and bring awareness to the humanitarian crisis which has been unfolding under the administration of President Volodomyr Zelenskyy.
After a significant number of meetings were held with members of Congress and/or their staff, a press conference saw remarks from Catherine Whiteford (Director of Government Affairs for the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), as well as a lengthy speech from His Grace Bishop Theodosius (ROCOR) and comments from His Grace Bishop John Abdallah (Antiochian), His Grace Bishop Serafim (Serbian), Fr. Alessandro Margheritino (Chancellor of the OCA), and Subdeacon Gregory Levitsky, who is a constituent of Rep. Joe Wilson.
Rep. Luna poses for a photo with Orthodox faithful who traveled for the Society of St. John's Day of Action on Capitol Hill. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
To start out the press conference, Rep. Luna said that it is important to shed light on the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters – especially those in countries that the American government is currently funding.
“American tax dollars should never support a government that is actively persecuting our brothers and sisters in Christ,” she said.
Thanking Whiteford for organizing Orthodox Christians from around the country to spend the day on Capitol Hill and spread awareness of the issue, Rep. Luna also issued a warning.
“If Christians can be persecuted by our Western allies and countries fully reliant on us for funding, there is nothing to stop that persecution from coming home,” she said.
Taking the podium, Whiteford clarified that this is a necessary conversation not rooted in geopolitics, but in human dignity and religious freedom. The Society of St. John is not in Washington to speak against the people of Ukraine, she said, as they are the same people many have supported and prayed for throughout the brutal war. She also noted that many Orthodox Christians who were in attendance are Ukrainian.
“Nor are we here to defend Russia – we are not a pro-Russia group in any sense of the term,” she said. “We are for one reason only – to defend the universal principle of religious liberty and to speak plainly when that principle is abandoned, even by governments we otherwise support.”
Whiteford presented an icon to Rep. Luna, which she happily received and said she would place in her office. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
Calling attention to Law 3894, which effectively abolishes Ukraine’s oldest and largest denomination in the UOC, Whiteford said that the law’s effect and purpose is to drive an entire church underground. Clergy are detained and sent to the frontlines to fight, Met. Arseniy has been imprisoned for more than 18 months and needs lifesaving medical care, Met Onuphry, the 80-year-old primate of the UOC and a native of Ukraine and has had his citizenship revoked by the order of President Zelenskyy, and most alarming to American citizens, churches and monasteries are seized, often violently, while police stand by and watch. Parishioners are now worshiping in basements and apartments, and even then they are hunted by the security services and a hostile press.
“I want to remind you that we are not speaking of North Korea or China here – this is happening in a country the United States considers an ally,” Whiteford said.
She also noted that the United Nations, human rights organizations, and Christian churches around the world have condemned Law 3894 as an affront to religious freedom.
“A nation cannot defend freedom while abolishing it at the same time,” Whiteford said. “Religious freedom is not a luxury to be suspended during wartime. If anything, wartime is when it is needed most.”
With that in mind, she presented requests that the Society of St. John has for the U.S government to keep in mind and work toward. They are:
- Suspend and repeal Law 3894
- Demand the immediate release of Met. Arseniy and an end to the impressment of clergy into the military
- Insist that Ukraine honor its constitutional and international obligations on religious freedom with real accountability measures
“Faith is not a crime, tradition is not treason, and religious freedom is not optional,” she said.
Rep. Crane followed by saying that, since the war in Ukraine began, there have been troubling authoritarian tendencies that “stand in stark contrast to the core pillars of Western civilization,” including cancelled elections, media consolidation, and the misuse of funds.
“It’s clear that the situation on the ground is far different from what is portrayed by the mainstream media,” he said. “Alongside these concerns is the mistreatment of Christians, which is especially concerning.”
Rep. Crane offers remarks as Whiteford watches on. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
Rep. Crane shared his hope that a resolution to the war will not only save countless lives but also bring relief “from years of suffering and restriction on freedom of religion and speech.”
“Let’s continue to trust in God, stand firm in our convictions, and spread the Gospel worldwide,” he said.
Forte started his comments by saying that, while he is President of the New York Young Republican Club, he was most importantly there as an Orthodox Christian.
“When you have the Church of England, when you have Pope Francis, and when you have Orthodox Christians all around saying this is wrong, only one issue could bring those three groups together. It is wrong to see the imprisonment of clergy, it is wrong to see our tax dollars going to the persecution of Christians in a land that is not ours,” he said. “We need to stand together as Americans to say the persecution of any Christians anywhere is wrong and we will refuse to put our tax dollars behind it.”
Forte, President of the New York Young Republican Club, said that what was most important to him on this day was his Orthodox Christian faith. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
Calling back to previous statements by Rep. Joe Wilson, Forte said that those speaking in support of the UOC are not “Russian agents,” and to paint a group of concerned Christians with such a broad brush is “wrong, it’s dangerous, and frankly, it lowers discourse.
He closed his remarks by calling on all those present to stand together against the persecution, not just as Orthodox Christians, but as “good, God-fearing, decent people” to say with one voice that the treatment of the UOC by the Zelenskyy regime will not be tolerated.
Rep. Van Orden, who was not scheduled to speak at the press conference, took the opportunity to offer words of support in a brief statement before he had other business to attend to on the Hill.
Rep. Van Orden was not scheduled to speak but chose to take the podium in a show of solidarity. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA
He noted that he comes from an Orthodox family and stated his belief that any nation that turns its back on God fails. This, he said, is why the Soviet Union fell.
“Communism is based on atheistic conditions, and we have to understand that… in America, if we turn our back on God, we will fail,” he said. “If we don’t support other nations that are striving for religious freedom, we will also fail. You have my unwavering support, and I just hope that next Christmas will be happier for everybody. With that, God bless you and your families, and Merry Christmas.”
Previously, UOJ reported that nearly 200 Orthodox Christians gathered in Washington to support the UOC.
