On March 27, 2023, His Eminence Metropolitan Joanikije II of Montenegro and the Littoral sent a letter to the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, in which he expressed support to the UOC. The Information and Education Department of the UOC informs about it with reference to the website of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC.
Metropolitan Joanikije expressed his sorrow over the recent events in Ukraine. “The intentions to evict the brethren from the Kyiv Caves Monastery, as well as from other shrines of the UOC, which we are hearing about these days, seem simply incredible and are so absurd that it is hard to believe that this is even a possibility”, said Metropolitan Joanikije.
The hierarch also noted that “the Kyiv Caves Monastery with its holy shrines is the best symbol of solidarity and harmony of the Church, society and people, and is certainly not a stumbling block nor a source of disagreement. We see that you personally, as well as the entire UOC, are doing everything to ensure that this is the case, helping with words, deeds, and prayers, but unfortunately, the other side, the authorities, are doing exactly the opposite, they’re trying to overshadow all the good works and benefit that the Church brings to its flock with a plethora of false accusations. The fact that this false propaganda does not get the desired result is confirmed by the thousands of believers who are during these tumultuous days gathering to pray for the preservation of the holy shrines”, Metropolitan Joanikije emphasised.
In addition, the hierarch outlined the attitude of the international community to these events: “There is actually a gross violation of international law and accepted norms on freedom of conscience and religion. We see how the part of the international community that is non-Orthodox or even non-believers are upset by what is happening in Ukraine these days. For people living in the twenty-first century, it seems incredible that someone can simply evict hundreds of monks from a monastery and cast them out onto the street.”
Our clergy and faithful are also praying for and worrying about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, a hierarch who has gained great spiritual authority throughout the Christian world”, Metropolitan Joanikije emphasised and assured that during these days the faithful believers of Montenegro will earnestly pray “that the Lord may restore the lost minds of those who are enemies of His Holy Church and bring them back on to the right path of salvation, and keep the path for the Ukrainian Church safe from all evil.”
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