Bukovina, Ukraine, February 6, 2025
Photo: First Cossack
Parishes of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine in the western region of Bukovina are appealing to the U.S. government and other organizations for protection against the persecution of the state and the violent schismatics.
At least two parishes have made video appeals in the past week, in particular to Vice President JD Vance, who has publicly spoken out against the persecution the UOC and has made religious freedom a major part of his platform.
Parishioners of the Church of St. Basil in the village of Pidzaharychi in Bukovina appealed to U.S. government agencies about protecting their rights on January 30.
Four days prior, a group of schismatics from the violent “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” which enjoys the support of the Ukrainian state, held a meeting and decided to steal the church from the Orthodox Christians, reports the First Cossack.
The radicals have falsified legal documentation and are also planning a physical attack, while law enforcement authorities stand aside and do nothing—a typical scenario that has played out dozens if not hundreds of times across Ukraine in the past few years.
Thus, the Orthodox faithful decided to appeal to Vice President JD Vance, who has spoken publicly in defense of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is experiencing brutal persecution from its own state.
The parish has also sent evidence of OCU activists’ terror to the U.S. Embassy and international human rights organizations, and Bukovinians living in the U.S. are preparing an appeal to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“A church is for prayer, a church is for love, a church is for peace. It’s God’s house,” the appeal concludes.
On February 4, the clergy and faithful of the Holy Dormition Church in the village of Dubovtsy, Bukovina also appealed to the U.S. government, the UN, the OSCE, and other human rights organization to protect their rights and to protect their church from the violent schismatics of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
The parishioners informed President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and others about the schismatics’ scheme of falsifying documents to steal their church. They also warn that a violent, forceful seizure could follow, as is happening throughout Ukraine.
The parishioners emphasize that the rector’s brother, Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk, serves in America and will personally help ensure the appeal is delivered to the Offices of the President and Vice President.
The appeal concludes: “We Ukrainians oppose the religious animosity incited by OCU supporters. We love God, our Church, our native Ukraine, and our people. May He bless our land with peace.”
His Eminence Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa made his own appeal to President Trump 
Senior UOC hierarch addresses President Trump in letter of hope and peaceHis Eminence Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has sent greetings to President Donald Trump.
“>in November to help protect the canonical UOC.
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