Vima orthodoxias: Orthodox leaders of Greece are silent about the persecution of the UOC

In the photo, the capture of the UOC cathedral in Cherkassy, ​​where Metropolitan Theodosius was wounded

January 19, 2026 Greek journalist Giannis Papanikolaou published material about the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, pointing out the lack of public reaction from the majority of the primates of local Orthodox Churches.

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For now, the international agenda is focused on military operations and geopolitical balancesanother, no less alarming front remains on the periphery of attention – systemic pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC)the canonical Church of the country under the omophorion Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Onufry.

We are talking about a crisis that goes far beyond the Ukrainian conflict and affects the entire Orthodox world. Against this background silence of many Primates becomes more and more deafening.

In recent years, especially after 2024, the UOC has found itself at the epicenter public policypresented as a matter of “national security”, but in practice leading to administrative and physical suppression. Law 3894-IX has become an institutional instrument, but its application has long gone beyond the scope of ordinary legal regulation.

From control to forceful intervention. In various regions of Ukraine, raids on churches and monasteries, removal of clergy and pressure on parishes to change church jurisdiction are recorded. Personnel entering international organizations resemble coercive operations rather than administrative procedures. This question was even raised on platforms OSCEwhere representatives of human rights structures emphasized that references to security cannot justify collective punishment of religious communities.

The situation around Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – one of the main spiritual centers of Orthodoxy. The brothers faced eviction orders and access restrictions. The monks refused to leave the monastery, emphasizing that this was not a government facility, but a living spiritual organism.

Against this background, the position Metropolitan Onuphry takes on special weight. Despite deprivation of citizenship from Ukraine and public attacks, he remains in Kyiv, avoiding political rhetoric. His word remains pastoral – with an emphasis on peace and the prevention of fratricidal schism.

For millions of believers, Onuphrius is not an “obstacle to national unity,” as officials often present him, but a fulcrum in conditions of general instability. His commitment to canonical order and refusal to legitimize divisions imposed by the state make him an awkward figure for supporters of an accelerated “church restructuring.”

Parallel structure under the leadership Epiphanyrecognized by Constantinople, but not accepted by the entirety of Orthodoxy, strengthened with direct government support. Temples and monasteries seized from the UOC are often transferred to this structure without the consent of local communities.

This deepens the split and turns the church question into social conflictpitting believers against each other. Despite appeals to Council of Europereal intervention mechanisms are still missing.

The most alarming aspect is the silence of a significant part of world Orthodoxy. Many Primates limit themselves to general calls for “peace,” avoiding direct reference to the fact of persecution. The reasons are obvious: fear of being accused of supporting Moscow, frozen inter-Orthodox relations and the acceptance of the logic of “state sovereignty” as a justification for church repression.

However, this position creates dangerous precedent. If the canonical Church can be ousted or destroyed by a state decision, then what guarantees do others have?

The situation did not go unnoticed in human rights circles. The reports were received in Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rightsand in European Parliament The issue is discussed in a muted manner. Nevertheless real political pressure did not follow to Kyiv.

Religious freedomone of the basic European values, gives way to geopolitical considerations.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Metropolitan Onufry has not disappeared. Despite the prohibitions and pressure, believers continue to pray – in temporary premises, basements, courtyards. This indicates that the problem cannot be solved by decrees.

Today the issue concerns not only Ukraine, but also future Orthodoxy: will it remain the Church of freedom and conscience or will it tacitly accept the subordination of the canonical order to state interests. It will not be possible to avoid a response from the Primates.

Editor’s comment

To what has been said, it is worth adding that from Priests and clerics of the UOC have had their conscription reservation removed, and at the same time they are prohibited from serving as chaplainsso they are en masse recruited for military service, ignoring all generally accepted laws and regulations, according to which priests and clergy of Christian churches should not be drafted into military service as military personnel directly involved in hostilities.

Many of those summoned have already died…

As for the Greek Church, following the flow of state policy, since 2019, the Metropolis of Athens, actually squeezed out Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, (also bearing the second name Russian Embassy Church) where the Russian-speaking community of Athens gathered. Father Alexander was removed from the post of primate of the temple, and was replaced by Father Sinecios appointed. Over the past 6 years, the temple has lost at least 50% of its parishioners who were dissatisfied with both the service and the policies pursued by Father Synesios.

Was actually library destroyedcollected by many generations of Russian-speaking parishioners

In addition to the library, ancient icons were hidden or transferred to other churches or hidden, to which many generations of church parishioners came to pray. The temple itself was actually renamed; at the suggestion of Father Sinesios, it was given the name Soteira Lykodemos, which after protests was changed to a double name.

And all this happens under the “sensitive guidance” of the metropolis, which ignores all the complaints of parishioners…

On July 6, 2023, a large part of the donated collection of books and magazines in Russian and Church Slavonic from the Holy Trinity Church on Filellinon Street, formerly known as the “Russian Church,” was transferred to the library of the Orthodox center of the Greek Church.

The collection was handed over by Archimandrite P. Sinesios Victoratos, Vicar of the Holy Church, reports the Church News Agency Romfea.

Receiving and classifying the collection was undertaken by the head of the library, Mrs. Irini Gripaou, and Deacon Father Antonios Sarantidis, a brother from the Holy Monastery of Penteli, Romfea said in a statement.

It is worth noting that this collection was collected over more than 150 years by former rectors and parishioners of the Russian Church, but was given away without any agreement with the community. Whether the collection will be returned is a big question. Books and magazines of historical and cultural value were actually removed from the temple as part of the policy of de-Russification of the Church of the Holy Trinity, just as numerous icons were previously thrown into the trash, a gift from the parishioners of the temple, who in recent years have been expelled from the church by hook or by crook.

This is the second mass confiscation of books and valuables from the Russian Church. For the first time, a library with many ancient Russian books, which today is practically lost, was moved, not entirely legally, to a former Russian nursing home in Argyroupoli. Where for many years it was quietly sold at auction along with things and historical values ​​received from parishioners.

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