Serbian Bishops Defend Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Serbia’s bishops accused Ukrainian authorities of persecuting the canonical UOC and violating believers’ basic rights.
BELGRADE, SERBIA — The Holy Council of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church issued a strong statement in defense of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) during its May 13–19 session in Belgrade, condemning what it described as continuing persecution by Ukrainian authorities against the canonical Church in Ukraine.
In its official press release, the Serbian bishops said they discussed “the suffering of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the current authorities in Kiev,” specifically citing the confiscation of church property, churches, and monasteries, as well as pressure against hierarchs, clergy, and monastics. The Council stated that the UOC is being deprived of “basic human rights and freedoms guaranteed by international conventions.”
The Serbian hierarchs emphasized that the UOC remains “the only canonical Church in Ukraine” and warned international institutions against ignoring what they called a major injustice against Orthodox Christians. The Council appealed to global organizations and political leaders “not to close their eyes” to the situation facing Orthodox believers in Ukraine.
The statement reflects the Serbian Church’s continued support for the canonical UOC under His Beatitude Metr. Onuphry amid mounting legal and political pressure from Ukrainian authorities. The Serbian bishops framed the issue not only as an ecclesiastical dispute, but also as a matter of religious freedom and human rights.
Previously, the UOJ reported that an OCU cleric called UOC believers “rot” in a Facebook video.
