> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://uoj.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # UOC Episcopate Appeals to President Zelensky Over Stripping of Primate’s Citizenship - URL: https://uoj.news/news/84733-uoc-episcopate-appeals-to-president-zelensky-over-stripping-of-primates-citizenship/ - Published: 2025-07-10T09:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-23T16:49:10.000Z - Description: As of July 9, 45 hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have signed the appeal. - Author: UOJ-America Editorial Staff - Tags: #Category: News, UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine Schism, Church and State **JULY 9, 2025 —** Following reports of a [Presidential Decree](https://uoj.news/news/84670-breaking-zelensky-revokes-ukrainian-citizenship-of-metropolitan-onufriy/) stripping the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, of Ukrainian citizenship — a development that has caused widespread concern among the faithful — the UOC hierarchs have issued an open letter to President Volodymyr Zelensky urging him to reconsider the decision. The Church’s Information and Education Department announced the appeal on July 9, 2025. The full text of the appeal, as published by the Union of Orthodox Journalists: > **OPEN LETTER OF THE EPISCOPATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH** > > To the President of Ukraine > > Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky > > Dear Mr. President, > > We, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, address you with sincere and at the same time deeply troubled words concerning the decision to strip His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine — a patriot, citizen, and faithful son of the Ukrainian land — of his Ukrainian citizenship. > > His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy is not only the Primate of a Church that serves God and unites millions of Ukrainian citizens, but also a pastor who, at the very outset of the war, expressed his position clearly, decisively, and responsibly. In the first hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he publicly condemned it and called on all the faithful to pray and to defend the homeland. He remained here with his flock and blessed our Ukrainian armed forces to protect the nation. > > With the blessing and spiritual leadership of His Beatitude, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has, throughout the full-scale war against our state, carried out extensive humanitarian and charitable efforts. Over the years, the Church has gathered and delivered thousands of tons of humanitarian aid, procured medicines, equipment, evacuation vehicles, and medical supplies worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias, and raised significant funds to support war widows and orphans. > > Our clergy and faithful serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and defend the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of our nation. Without exaggeration, the UOC under the leadership of His Beatitude Onufriy is today one of Ukraine’s largest charitable organizations. > > We seek neither glory nor recognition for this — it is our spiritual and civic duty. But the decision to strip His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy — a sincere Ukrainian, living a thoroughly Ukrainian life — of citizenship has caused pain in the hearts of millions of Ukrainian Orthodox believers. > > This is evidenced by the fact that, according to social surveys, the name of our Primate has ranked this year among the most influential figures in Ukraine. > > The mission of the Church is not to serve political aims or situations but to reconcile humanity with God. The Church has existed, exists, and will continue to exist regardless of worldly affairs. Its goal is to help each person attain salvation, learn to love others, and live up to the high calling of being “Christian.” This is what His Beatitude Onufriy always emphasizes in his sermons. He is not a politician, but a man of prayer and spirit — as you have personally witnessed in your meetings with him. > > His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy has always taken a spiritually and patriotically conscious approach to the fate of our Motherland, Ukraine. > > That is precisely why he became the initiator and founder of the historic Council of the UOC held in Feofaniya on May 27, 2022, which fundamentally changed the reality of church life in our country: the Council decided to separate the UOC from the Moscow Patriarchate and expressed disagreement with Patriarch Kirill’s position on the war in Ukraine. > > In a statement on the third anniversary of the Council, Metropolitan Onufriy emphasized: > > “Unfortunately, after the start of the full-scale invasion, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow fully sided with the Russian political leadership, consistently justifying military aggression against Ukraine.” > > Since the beginning of the war, fervent prayers for Ukraine, its government, its heroic defenders, the overcoming of Russian aggression, and the restoration of peace have been offered during every service in every UOC church. > > Today, in a time of war, our country and people need peace, harmony, and unity more than ever — not division. Millions of UOC parishioners, who love and respect their Primate, are an inseparable part of Ukrainian society. > > Therefore, we ask you, dear Mr. President, to restore justice — an act that would demonstrate not only the strength of the state but also your wisdom. > > On behalf of the millions of faithful, clergy, and monastics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we respectfully ask you, dear Mr. President, to defend the truth, honor, dignity, and spiritual authority of one of the most respected pastors of the many-million-member UOC, and to reconsider the decision to revoke Metropolitan Onufriy’s citizenship. > > We lift up our fervent prayers for you and your family. > > May the Heavenly Hosts protect you! > > With deep respect, > > **THE EPISCOPATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH** > > *Agafangel, Metropolitan of Odessa and Izmail, permanent member of the Holy Synod of the UOC, Member of Parliament of Ukraine (1st convocation)* > *Meletiy, Metropolitan of Chernivtsi and Bukovina* > *Antony, Metropolitan of Boryspil and Brovary* > *Klyment, Metropolitan of Nizhyn and Pryluky* > *Avgustin, Metropolitan of Bila Tserkva and Bohuslav* > *Anatoliy, Metropolitan of Polissia and Sarny* > *Agapit, Metropolitan of Mohyliv-Podilskyi and Sharhorod* > *Filipp, Metropolitan of Poltava and Myrhorod* > *Aleksey, Metropolitan of Balta and Ananiv* > *Nikodym, Metropolitan of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi* > *Volodymyr, Metropolitan of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Kovel* > *Yevlohiy, Metropolitan of Sumy and Okhtyrka* > *Feodor, Metropolitan of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod* > *Volodymyr, Metropolitan of Kamianske and Tsarychanka* > *Filaret, Metropolitan of Lviv and Halych* > *Longin, Metropolitan of Bancheny, Hero of Ukraine* > *Varsonofiy, Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Bar* > *Aleksey, Metropolitan of Voznesensk and Pervomaisk* > *Boholep, Metropolitan of Oleksandriia and Svitlovodsk* > *Viktor, Metropolitan of Khmelnytskyi and Starokostiantyniv* > *Oleksandr, Archbishop of Horodnytsia* > *Iona, Archbishop of Obukhiv* > *Diodor, Archbishop of Yuzhne* > *Viktor, Archbishop of Artsyz* > *Serhiy, Archbishop of Bolhrad* > *Veniamin, Archbishop of Novosanzhary* > *Veniamin, Archbishop of Khotyn* > *Sylvestr, Archbishop of Bilohorodka* > *Pimen, Archbishop of Rivne and Ostroh* > *Spyridon, Archbishop of Dobropillia* > *Amvrosiy, Archbishop of Zghurivka* > *Nikodym, Archbishop of Liubets* > *Kyrylo, Bishop of Byshiv* > *Siluan, Bishop of Hertsa* > *Feodosiy, Bishop of Ladan* > *Kleopa, Bishop of Novoselytsia* > *Mykyta, Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia* > *Yakiv, Bishop of Drohobych* > *Illarii, Bishop of Svaliava* > *Arkadiy, Bishop of Hostomel* > *Alipiy, Bishop of Tarutyne* > *Anastasiy, Bishop of Ovidiopol* > *Panteleimon, Bishop of Baturyn* > *Filaret, Bishop of Baryshivka* > *Iov, Bishop of Kitsman* As of July 9, [the appeal had been signed](https://eparhia.vn.ua/2025/07/09/zvernennya-iepiskopatu-upc-do-prezidenta-ukraini-volodimira-zelenskogo/) by 45 UOC hierarchs, with more signatures expected. As [previously reported](https://spzh.eu/en/news/87140-zelenskys-decree-stripping-uoc-primate-of-citizenship-classified-media) by the UOJ's Ukrainian branch (SPZh), media outlets have claimed that President Zelensky’s decree revoking Metropolitan Onufriy’s citizenship has been classified.