Metr. Theodosy Addresses UN Council Over Mobilization of UOC Clergy

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Metr. Theodosy of Cherkasy and Kaniv addressed the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling attention to what he described as discriminatory treatment of clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). His remarks were delivered by video during a discussion of human rights situations requiring the Council’s attention.

The session is being held at the Palace of Nations from September 7 through October 7, 2026. Metr. Theodosius said UOC clergy face unequal treatment compared with clergy of other religious organizations regarding Ukraine’s military mobilization system.

According to the hierarch, UOC priests who have been mobilized have been killed or gone missing at the front, while clergy belonging to other religious organizations can obtain mobilization deferments and serve as military chaplains. He said comparable opportunities are effectively unavailable to UOC clergy.

Metr. Theodosy also told the Council that the situation has remained unresolved despite interventions by UN special procedures. He additionally raised concerns about criminal proceedings involving UOC bishops and clergy and legal proceedings that, he said, threaten the continued existence of UOC church structures.

Concluding his address, the Cherkasy hierarch appealed for a stronger international response to alleged violations against the UOC. “Today, simply recording violations is not enough. Effective protection is needed,” he said, urging international human rights mechanisms to take concrete action.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a UOC priest was sent to a military training center despite three health abnormalities.