The Escalating Tensions Between Ukrainian Authorities and the Orthodox Church
In a controversial maneuver that has ignited widespread indignation among various religious factions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has intensified his administration’s campaign against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), an institution that serves as a spiritual anchor for millions of Ukrainians.
Recent developments saw Zelensky signing a decree that revoked the Ukrainian citizenship of the esteemed 80-year-old UOC leader, Metropolitan Onufriy, as reported by Ukraine’s SBU security service. This decision marks a significant escalation in what many view as a targeted assault on the church.
The SBU asserts that Onufriy, whose full name is Orest Berezovsky, acquired Russian citizenship back in 2002, a claim he vehemently denies. While Onufriy acknowledged holding a Russian passport briefly in April 2023, he argued that he surrendered it and reaffirmed his allegiance to Ukraine, stating, “I spoke out against Russia’s war with Ukraine and condemned Russian aggression. I consider myself a citizen only of Ukraine.” Despite these declarations, the Zelensky administration has leveraged a new law on dual citizenship, which flags individuals with Russian passports for denaturalization, to target the metropolitan.
For years, Zelensky’s government has pursued an unyielding campaign against the UOC, the largest religious denomination in Ukraine, often citing its historical connections to the Russian Orthodox Church. These connections, rooted in the era of Imperial Russia, have been weaponized to justify an aggressive crackdown.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the SBU has reported that over 100 UOC clergy members have been subjected to criminal investigations for alleged collaboration with Russian forces or for disseminating pro-Kremlin sentiments. Nearly 50 of these individuals have faced formal charges, with 26 convictions already handed down.
The government’s tactics extend beyond legal frameworks. Supporters of the state-sanctioned Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), founded in 2019 and recognized by the Patriarch of Constantinople, have actively seized UOC properties, often without facing repercussions.
The UOC has condemned these actions as state-sponsored persecution, asserting that its canonical independence from Moscow, established in the 1990s, makes such allegations unfounded. Conversely, the SBU contends that Onufriy has resisted efforts to dissociate from the Moscow Patriarchate, a claim the UOC firmly disputes.
This escalating controversy has drawn international criticism, with the United Nations and various human rights organizations accusing Ukraine of infringing upon religious freedoms. This scrutiny intensified following the enactment of a 2024 law that threatens to ban the UOC unless it completely severs spiritual ties with Russia.
Critics argue that such overreach undermines Ukraine’s democratic principles, particularly as the country seeks Western support in its struggle against Russian aggression.
For conservatives, this crackdown raises unsettling questions regarding the delicate balance between national security and religious freedom. The UOC, a crucial institution for many faithful Ukrainians, now faces an existential threat from a government that seems prepared to sacrifice the right to worship in the name of political expediency.
Metropolitan Onufriy’s predicament exemplifies the precarious situation faced by those whose loyalty to Ukraine is overshadowed by a regime intent on reshaping the nation’s religious landscape.
