How Will the Martyrdom of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Impact the World?

June 19, 2023
Greek Archdiocese, Leftist Infiltration of the Orthodox Church, War in Ukraine
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The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by Metropolitan Onuphry, has been under severe persecution for all of 2023. Canonical Orthodox Christians face a war to the East, and a campaign of church seizures, church closures, arrests, beatings, and trials all around them. Orthodox Reflections has covered the tragedy here, here, and here.

To get a current perspective on the ongoing persecution, below are links to a few videos from Victoria Kokhanovska, lawyer and a defender of the UOC. Victoria has been illegally detained, assaulted by police, and now finds herself on house arrest with an ankle monitor. Despite all this abuse, she continues to tell the truth about the sufferings of Orthodox Christians.

Parishioners, priests, hierarchs, and monks of the UOC all feel unprotected as citizens. Daily, Ukrainian authorities and security forces act against them in violation of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. In the videos below, Victoria explains the evidence for the current persecution and its illegality. For non-Ukrainian speakers, please turn on the English subtitles. 

Video 1 – Introduction to the Ukrainian government’s persecution of Orthodox Christians. 

Video 2 – Political framework of the Christian persecution in Ukraine. 

Video 3 – Victoria gives a personal account of some of the tragic events around the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

More videos can be found at this link posted by a Ukrainian reader of Orthodox Reflections. For those less familiar with the current persecution of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, we recommend this short video in English as an introduction. 

By the way, none of this is happening in secret. The Ukrainian Government is quite proud of its efforts to rid the country of canonical Orthodoxy: 

On 13 June 2023, an MP of the People’s Servant faction, Oleh Dunda, promised that there will be no UOC in Ukraine by the end of the summer.

 

On the “Espresso TV” channel, the lawmaker said that relevant decisions and bills which would make it impossible for the UOC to exist in Ukraine will be adopted and voted on in the summer.

 

According to Dunda, the UOC will no longer exist in Ukraine within a year. He believes that “this will become a fait accompli and these remnants of the Russian sectarian religion in the form of the UOC MP may remain only in the form of the so-called catacomb Church”.

 

Dunda is sure that “most likely, even in this form they will not be in Ukraine. There will be some small sect of parishioners – about 50-100 thousand, but they will also disappear”.

 

“This is already an irreversible and historical issue and will have been finished by the end of the year. I think that in the summer the relevant decisions will be taken and the bills will be voted – and there will be no UOC officially in our state,” stressed the MP.

For those confused over who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are in Ukraine, let us ask a simple question. When, since Pentecost, have the historical “good guys” been the ones driving Christians underground into the “catacombs”? 

This is horrible, and blame for all this lies as much on us Americans as on the Ukrainian Government. The persecution in Ukraine is an example of our American tax dollars at work. The Kiev government is completely financially and militarily dependent on our aid.  Therefore, Americans have a responsibility to both fight this demonic injustice and to spread awareness of it. Granted, our efforts are hampered by the opposition of our own government, the lack of a free press, and the support of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Greek Archdiocese as well) for its unholy child, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which spearheads the persecution. Nevertheless, even given those obstacles, it is to our shame (hopefully not eternal) that we have not done more to help our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

Fortunately, as with any tragic situation, God can and will bring forth blessings. In a recent interview, Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou made a bold declaration, “The UOC is persecuted to make new Saints.” Among those saints will be new martyrs. Do you realize how that can change the world?

Christianity is estimated to be the world’s most persecuted religion. Globally, hundreds of millions of Christians face varying levels of violence and discrimination. 1 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Africa and 2 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Asia. Christian persecution is usually greatest in areas considered to be “remote” in terms of Western media attention. Lack of coverage leads to the suffering of Christians being largely ignored. Consequently, Christian martyrdom is usually seen by comfortable Western Christians and secularists as a thing of the past – something from Roman or Soviet times, but certainly not a concern today. 

In contrast to much of the Christian persecution in the world, what is happening to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is taking place in the middle of Europe, during a war that will doubtless be a major issue in the 2024 US Presidential election. No matter how hard the media try to cover up the persecution, the truth will be increasingly known. How will the examples of the new Saints and Martyrs of Ukraine impact the world? 

More than you think, and in ways few can scarcely imagine.

Christ is Worth Suffering and Death

Most Christian Churches in the US are all about ease and comfort. On any given Sunday, millions pour through lobbies full of percolating coffee to sit in air conditioned luxury and watch a musical performance followed by a motivational speech. These people consider sacrifice to be losing an hour of sleep once a year because of Daylight Savings Time. Christ is a hobby, not the ever-present Lord of their lives. Church is someplace they go to have a good time and show how respectable they are. Not because they are seeking a union with the Everlasting God. 

But let’s not pick on just the megachurch Evangelicals. Roman Catholics are just as bad. Only a minority of them even believe that Christ is really present in the Eucharist. Liturgical abuses in the Roman Catholic Church are so common, we scarcely notice them anymore. The spiritual life within the Roman Church is in a pitiful state. 

We Orthodox can’t pat ourselves on the back too much, either. Far, far too many Orthodox are more “cultural” than they are “religious”. Our best known hierarch in the US, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Archdiocese, is also the one most closely associated with ecumenism and modernism. His cringe-worthy actions are frequently used by apologists for other Christian denominations (sometimes even by Muslims) as examples of why Orthodoxy is not the True Faith. Our failure to eradicate the “Woke” poison, spreading through parts of our Church and society, led Abbot Tryphon to put out this video calling for us to stop what he termed the “The Luciferian Lockstep”.

On all sides, Christianity in the US exudes flabbiness, softness, inauthenticity. The government says to wear masks, close churches, stop kissing icons, limit attendance when open, change communion, and we all meekly comply. Some of our own Orthodox bishops bring shame and discredit on the Faith, and we quietly go about our business as if nothing is happening. 

Muslims in the West make fun of us as having no faith, since we have so easily abandoned traditional morality to modern degradation. A growing number of Pagans call Christians weak, sniveling, losers who follow a “dead god” that was unable to save Himself. The Christian Faith once vanquished paganism from whole continents. Demon-filled shamans trembled in the presence of our saints. Now their spiritual descendants mock us as cowards.

The Woke, and practitioners of various other political religions, call Christians “privileged” in the West. They are aware that this is untrue, but the charge scores good rhetorical points for them. The secularists know that Western Christians usually have no spines. We don’t want to get into any trouble. We are “nice people” who want to go along and get along. Respectable people don’t cause problems. Respectable people follow the rules. Didn’t Paul say that in Romans, or something like it? Plus, good Christians need their jobs to keep their comfortable, middle class lives intact. Getting fired for making a stand, going to jail, or getting on an FBI watchlist are not on the average American Christian’s to-do list. 

No wonder the Christian Faith is dismissed as irrelevant. Even those of us who profess to follow Christ are too afraid to stand up for Him. Why should anyone else take Him seriously?

Into this vacuum comes the Orthodox Christians of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. We have only begun to tell their story. They face a bitter war in the East of their country. Many of them are in uniform fighting that war. Orthodox Ukrainians face deep privation living in a physically and economically shattered nation. At the same time, their own government, violent mobs, and even the power of the United States are all arrayed against them and their Church. Facing such odds, how many of us would outright surrender?

Not the Ukrainian Orthodox though. They are not backing down.

These followers of Christ stand up to beatings. To police assaults. To unjust arrests. To their churches being closed. To their churches being seized. To the mocking and scourging of mobs. They are spit upon. Women are raped. Priests and bishops are attacked on the streets. Scoffers conduct blasphemous mockeries of Christian rites. Christians are gassed in Church. Christians are disappeared. They are arrested. They are slandered. Their rights, and even their very citizenship, are denied. 

Up against the Gates of Hell, the faithful of the UOC do not abandon their Churches. They do not abandon their Faith. They do not abandon Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs all honor and worship. Each day, no matter what is thrown at them, they stand. For while good Christians do strive to follow the secular law, they cannot yield when that law goes against God. 

To unbelievers and nominal Christians, the examples of our modern Ukrainian Saints and Martyrs will be a shock. Who are these people that face such suffering voluntarily? What is this Faith that motivates them? Who is this Christ for Whom they will lay down their freedoms, even their very lives? Perhaps the Orthodox Church is the 1st Century Church after all? 

At some level, everyone (Christian and non-Christian alike) realizes the power of Martyrdom. Martyrdom purifies and strengthens the Church. Martyrdom inspires. Modern martyrdom is so needed, that Pope Francis (heading a spiritually dead church short on martyrs, monastics, and faithful priests) added 21 Coptic martyrs to Roman Martyrology. If you can’t grow your own, why not borrow someone else’s?

When the story of what is happening in Ukraine is fully known, the demons will tremble and Orthodox parishes around the world will be flooded with inquirers. This is the True Faith Once Delivered to the Apostles. This is Apostolic boldness. This is the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

An Example to the Orthodox 

The Faithful of the UOC could lie to themselves. They could join the “official” church (OCU) and pretend they are still Orthodox Christians. That is what the Ecumenical Patriarch wants them to do. That is what Archbishop Elpidophoros wants them to do. That is what Joe Biden and Zelenskyy want them to do. Shut up, do what we say, and all your problems are over. 

If given a plausible way to still be an “Orthodox Christian” and avoid persecution, how many of us Americans would say, “Sign me up”? The examples of the Christians of the UOC are not just for the benefit of unbelievers and nominal Christians. Their authentic witness for Christ is also essential for us Orthodox. 

Not just for the Orthodox laity, either. Our hierarchs did not cover themselves with glory during the “pandemic”, nor in many other controversies in which they have largely stayed silent. Ukrainian Orthodox hierarchs openly pray during war, in the middle of a flood caused by a bombed dam, while assaulted by hostile mobs, standing all night to stave off the seizure of holy churches… Those are the actions of the Successors to the Apostles. After watching the UOC stand so tall for Christ, it will be hard for most of us in the West (Orthodox hierarchs and laity alike) to ever again submit quietly to the dictates of petty government bureaucrats, NGOs, and Woke corporations. 

Exposing the Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

The foundation for the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was laid by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who granted official recognition to a political movement masquerading as an Orthodox Church. His All-Holiness was encouraged in this by the US Deep State, which wanted the new OCU to bolster the post-coup Ukrainian regime in Kiev. Orthodox Reflections covered a lot of the background to this lamentable series of events in this article on 8 Lies Told by Enemies of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Various hierarchs, priests, and academics have been working to undermine Orthodoxy for years. Much of their work has been done either in the background (often in lightly read academic publications and relatively obscure conferences), or in a manner that allows for “plausible deniability”. For example, officiating a service in an Episcopal Church boldly emblazoned with a Gay Pride flag, while loudly proclaiming there is nothing to see here but Christian love. Or baptizing the children of a same-sex couple, born of surrogate mothers, while claiming it was all about the salvation of the children. Or publishing a “Social Ethos” document that contains almost as many Woke, Globalist bromides as it does legitimate Orthodox teaching, while accusing critics of not having a sufficient Orthodox mindset to understand it. 

But the UOC persecution changes things. The wolves can’t hide among the sheep. They are being flushed out in the open, as they have no choice but to publicly defend what the Kiev government and its “church” are doing to innocent Christians. The whole world is watching. The Orthodox hierarchs are finally speaking out. In response, the Patriarch of Constantinople feels compelled to issue vague threats in support of the schismatic OCU that he created:

“Any attempt to challenge the Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine undermines inter-Orthodox peace and hinders cooperation and common witness of the Orthodox Churches,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said at the beginning of his speech.

The tragic suffering of the UOC has had a clarifying effect on Orthodoxy throughout the world. Those supporting her persecution are also, almost exclusively, the same Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing that support undermining the Orthodox Faith by pursuing ecumenism and modernism. Through their actions, they will increasingly expose themselves for the anti-Christian hypocrites they truly are. 

Against these false teachers will be arrayed the testimony of the new Saints and Martyrs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It will be a very uneven battle. 

God will fashion the suffering of the Orthodox Christians of the UOC into Gifts of the Holy Spirit that will enlighten the world. 

-Donald W. Jones, financial consultant and lifetime member of the Orthodox Church in America

We Demand an End to Christian Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Petition Text Below:

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is the canonical church in Ukraine headed by Metropolitan Onuphry. Prior to the war, approximately 70% of the population of Ukraine belonged to the UOC. Ukrainians overwhelmingly supported their Church, despite having been subjected to politically motivated persecution for many years. The violations of human rights directed at Orthodox Christian in Ukraine have included: forcible seizure / closure of parishes, unlawful arrests, physical abuse, abusive searches of holy sites, desecrations of holy objects, intentional targeting of parishes and holy sites for military attack, and acts of physical intimidation. Recently, local governments have banned the Ukrainian Church from even operating in their areas. President Zelensky of Ukraine has threatened to make this ban nationwide. The main churches of Kiev Caves Lavra have been removed from UOC jurisdiction, and schismatics have been allowed to use them for services. We, the undersigned Orthodox Christians and allied Christians of good conscience, note three things. First, the situation in Ukraine is unjustified Christian persecution that violates all global norms. Second, the Ukrainian Government is wholly dependent on Western financial and military support for its continued existence. Therefore, Christians in the West bear a substantial responsibility to speak for the Ukrainian victims of persecution. Third, protests from official organizations matter more to those in power than collections of citizens. Therefore, we signers of this petition call upon the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, all Orthodox jurisdictions in the West, all official Orthodox Christian ministries and institutions of higher education, all human rights organizations, the Roman Catholic Church, all other Christian bodies of good will, and any other concerned organizations to immediately draft statements decrying the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and demanding its immediate cessation. We cannot be silent in the face of Christian persecution enabled by our own governments. Please join us in ending the persecution of the Body of Christ in Ukraine.

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Petition Signatures
5,628
Mr. Michael G.
United States 
Greek Orthodox
5,627
Mr. BRUNO P.
France 
5,626
Mrs. Lena T.
Ukraine 
УПЦ
5,625
Miss. Anna S.
Ukraine 
5,624
Miss. Alisa P.
Ukraine 
5,623
Mr. Анна .
Ukraine 
5,622
Mrs. Tanya A.
France 
UOC
5,621
Mr. Michael S.
Australia 
ROCOR
5,620
Mrs. Hayat M.
Lebanon 
Orthodox
5,619
Mr. Lois L.
United States 
OCA
5,618
Mr. Ruth O.
United States 
Antiochian Orthodox
5,617
Mr. Ștefan S.
Romania 
Romanian Eastern Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of Bucharest under Archbishop and Metropolitan P.F. DANIEL and Vicar Bishop P.S. TIMOTEI Prahoveanul
5,616
Mr. Akshay B.
India 
The Holy Orthodox Christian Church
5,615
Mrs. Larysa B.
United Kingdom 
ROCOR
5,614
Mrs. Maria-Lynn K.
Canada 
ROCOR
5,613
Mr. Vladimir A.
United States 
Antioch
5,612
Mr. Peter D.
United States 
OCA
5,611
Miss. Lisa M.
United States 
Oregon
5,610
Miss. Danna H.
United States 
5,609
Mr. Edward A.
United States 
ROCOR
5,608
Miss. Jennifer J.
United States 
5,607
Mrs. Athena C.
United States 
Greek Orthodox
5,606
Mr. Jacinto S.
?? 
Antiochian Archdiocese of North America
5,605
Mr. Maximos H.
United States 
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
5,604
Mr. Tracey W.
United States 
Roman Catholic
5,603
Mr. Xavier G.
United States 
Greek Orthodox
5,602
Mr. Elias(Lewis) K.
United States 
5,601
Mr. Aaron P.
?? 
Antiochian
5,600
Mr. Michael K.
?? 
Orthodox Church of America
5,599
Mr. Vlada S.
Serbia 
5,598
Mr. Joseph D.
United States 
Antiochian
5,597
Mrs. Irina Z.
United States 
5,596
Mr. Eric R.
United States 
GOARCH
5,595
Mr. Jonathan B.
United States 
ROCOR
5,594
Mr. Randall A.
United States 
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
5,593
Mr. Dan P.
Romania 
5,592
Mr. Juan V.
?? 
Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America
5,591
Mr. Kevin K.
United States 
ACROD
5,590
Mr. Karl H.
United States 
Orthodox Christian
5,589
Miss. Dariya F.
United States 
DMV
5,588
Mr. James S.
United States 
ROCOR
5,587
Mrs. Lidiya L.
United States 
ROCOR
5,586
Dr. Sophia L.
United States 
5,585
Miss. Regina K.
United States 
5,584
Dr. Michael L.
United States 
5,583
Mrs. Larissa L.
United States 
Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St.John the Baptist
5,582
Mrs. Karina M.
United States 
5,581
Mr. Anna P.
Russian Federation 
5,580
Miss. xenia lynn teresa w.
United States 
ROCOR
5,579
Mrs. Louise D.
United States 
5,578
Mrs. Zina Y.
United States 
5,577
Mr. Alexis W.
United States 
ROCOR
5,576
Mrs. Iryna S.
United States 
ROC
5,575
Mr. Walt S.
United States 
Russian Orthodox
5,574
Mrs. Natalia G.
United States 
5,573
Mrs. Zoya D.
United States 
5,572
Mrs. Lydia M.
United States 
Eastern Diocese
5,571
Mr. Thomas D.
United States 
5,570
Mrs. Svetlana C.
United States 
5,569
Mrs. Darka R.
United States 
5,568
Mr. Marina K.
United States 
Orthodox Christian
5,567
Miss. Anne R.
United States 
OCA
5,566
Mrs. Cl B.
United States 
5,565
Mr. John T.
United States 
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
5,564
Miss. ELMIRA H.
United States 
Russian Orthodox
5,563
Mrs. Natalia R.
United States 
ROCOR
5,562
Mrs. Olga S.
?? 
Orthodox
5,561
Fr. John K.
United States 
ROCOR
5,560
Mrs. Evgenia A.
United States 
5,559
Mr. Theodore S.
United States 
OCA
5,558
Mr. Yakov Y.
United States 
5,557
Miss. Jennifer B.
United States 
Russian Orthodox Christian in Alabama
5,556
Mr. Vasily K.
United States 
5,555
Mr. Henry P.
United States 
5,554
Mrs. Svetlana M.
United States 
5,553
Mr. nicholas o.
United States 
Orthodox Christian
5,552
Mr. Michael D.
United States 
Eastern orthodox
5,551
Mr. William N.
United States 
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
5,550
Mr. Nikos G.
United Kingdom 
Greek archdiocese Thyateira
5,549
Mr. Kira S.
?? 
5,548
Mrs. Denise L.
United States 
5,547
Mr. Maria C.
Ukraine 
5,546
Mr. Christopher B.
United States 
Eastern Orthodox Christian
5,545
Mr. f d.
United States 
ROCOR
5,544
Miss. Linda L.
United States 
5,543
Mrs. SYLVIE C.
France 
5,542
Mr. Klaus K.
Switzerland 
Romanian Orthodox Church
5,541
Mr. Jerome B.
Canada 
OCA
5,540
Mr. Ryan D.
United States 
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
5,539
Ms. Olga B.
United States 
ROCOR
5,538
Ms. Elena G.
United States 
5,537
Mr. TONY A.
United States 
5,536
Ms. Menna J.
United Kingdom 
ROCOR
5,535
Mr. Arthur T.
United States 
Roman Catholic
5,534
Mr. Sergei L.
United States 
Orthodox
5,533
Mr. iLia A.
United States 
Orthodox
5,532
Mr. steven b.
United States 
goarch
5,531
Ms. Fotini B.
United States 
5,530
Ms. Eirini B.
Greece 
5,529
Mrs. Amber S.
?? 
5,528
Mr. Oleg G.
Ukraine 
UOC
5,527
Mr. John C.
Ukraine 
Ukraine
5,526
Ms. Diane S.
United States 
5,525
Mr. Jeremy K.
United States 
5,524
Mr. Bernie H.
United Kingdom 
Buddhist
5,523
Ms. Aleks T.
Ukraine 
5,522
Mr. Oleksandr T.
Ukraine 
5,521
Mr. Milton T.
United States 
5,520
Ms. Maksym P.
Italy 
Orthodox
5,519
Mrs. Olha S.
?? 
Ukraine
5,518
Ms. Kolykhan L.
Ukraine 
5,517
Mr. Ross H.
United States 
ROEA
5,516
Fr. David A L.
United States 
OCA
5,515
Mr. Antonio G.
Italy 
5,514
Mr. John Q.
Canada 
5,513
Mrs. Mary A.
Canada 
ROCOR
5,512
Miss. Dianne T.
United States 
GOA
5,511
Mr. Piran U.
United Kingdom 
5,510
Mr. Michael P.
United States 
GOAA
5,509
Mrs. Elizabeth U.
United Kingdom 
Antiochan
5,508
Dr. Eden E J.
United States 
Catholic
5,507
Mr. Lazarus U.
United Kingdom 
Antiochian
5,506
Mrs. Tessa D.
United States 
Greek Orthodox
5,505
Mrs. Karen K.
United States 
OCA
5,504
Mr. Ostoja V.
Australia 
5,503
Mr. Gilles C.
France 
Othodox
5,502
Mr. Лариса .
Ukraine 
5,501
Mr. Rebecca C.
United States 
Orthodox Church of America
5,500
Mr. Trudy S.
?? 
5,499
Mr. Василий .
Ukraine 
5,498
Mrs. DRUMARD T.
France 
ORTHODOX CHURCH
5,497
Miss. Tetyana Igorivna A.
Ukraine 
УПЦ
5,496
Mr. Igor I.
Ukraine 
УПЦ
5,495
Mrs. Татьяна .
Mexico 
ХРИСТИАНКА
5,494
Miss. Тятьяна .
Ukraine 
УПЦ
5,493
Mrs. Tatyana D.
Australia 
ORTHODOX CHURCH
5,492
Miss. Mary M.
United States 
ROCOR
5,491
Mr. Ирина .
Ukraine 
5,490
Mr. Joseph K.
United States 
OCA
5,489
Miss. Інна .
?? 
Київ
5,488
Mr. Роман .
Ukraine 
5,487
Mr. Sergej G.
Germany 
5,486
Miss. Connie D.
United States 
5,485
Mr. Dennis B.
United States 
Rocor
5,484
Mr. Steve R.
United States 
Traditionalist Roman Catholic
5,483
Mr. Michael C.
United States 
OCA
5,482
Mrs. Leeah O.
Australia 
Greek Orthodox
5,481
Christopher K.
?? 
ROCOR
5,480
Mr. Mike C.
United Kingdom 
5,479
Lillian H.
?? 
Greek Orthodox
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