Abp. Atallah Hanna Condemns Pressure on UOC

JERUSALEM — Abp. Atallah Hanna of Jerusalem has criticized what he described as an escalating campaign against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), warning that efforts to challenge the Church’s legal status could have serious implications for religious freedom in Ukraine.

In a statement published on his official social media page, Abp. Hanna argued that recent actions targeting the UOC represent a new phase in a broader conflict surrounding the country's largest Orthodox body. He asserted that previous measures, including disputes over church properties, investigations involving clergy, and actions affecting monasteries, have now been followed by attempts to challenge the Church’s continued legal existence.

The Archbishop maintained that the UOC remains a legitimate religious institution with deep historical and spiritual roots. He characterized any effort to dissolve or prohibit the Church as an attack on the rights of millions of believers who identify with it. According to Hanna, such actions would raise serious concerns about the protection of religious liberties and the treatment of faith communities.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a UOC cleric said the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra had been spiritually destroyed.