Dear Congressman Lynch,
I am writing this letter from a strictly religious point of view. I am a Greek Orthodox Christian. In Ukraine, which is suffering from the horrors of the Russian invasion there is an internal assault on theUkrainian Orthodox Church. There are two Churches. There is the Church that Eastern Orthodoxy considers the legitimate Church (now under attack by the Government) and their is a breakaway Church.
Either way, individuals should be free to worship as they choose and to attend which ever Church they like.The official Church which the Ukrainian government is trying to ban is under the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, hence the problem. The Ukrainian Church under the spiritual leadership ofthe Russian Patriarch of Moscow is an autonomous self governing Church. Because they are spiritually under the Russian Church no sinister implications should be perceived.
As a Greek Orthodox myself,
I am under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who resides in Constantinople, Turkey. My spiritual ties to an ancient Church now in Turkey has no political implications and I certainly have no loyalty to the Turkish government (far from it) or disloyalty to the United States.
The accusations against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Ukrainian government are preposterous. Roman Catholics throughout the world are under the spiritual authority of the Pope of Rome. That does not make them loyal politically to Italy and it does not make them disloyal to the countries they reside in. At this time, the Ukrainian government is attempting to seize the largest Monastery in Kiev
from the Ukrainian Church that it does not like despite the fact that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow) has condemned the Russian invasion unequivocally and has criticized the Russian Church for its stance on the war.
Religious freedom either exists or it does not. It is most unfortunate that the Orthodox Church has become a political pawn between Ukraine, Russia, and the west. The sooner they all cease from attempting to interfere in the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church the more likely for peace in Ukraine. Orthodox Churches are profoundly influential in their countries. However, the State Department has interfered in the internal life of the Greek Orthodox Churches in the hope of promoting a split with the Russian Church.
I am certain you may find this very confusing as do I. The Ukrainian government is getting money and arms from the United States. Washington should at least demand that the persecution of Churches
that the Kiev government does not like should cease immediately. If anything, the government in Kiev is creating disunity among Ukrainians by promoting religious hatred and religious strife. Orthodox Christians throughout the world are watching the persecution of their coreligionists in Ukraine with horror and revulsion.
The assault on religious freedom in Ukraine should cease. The persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church (twice as large as the schismatic Church) will contribute to stability and peace in Ukraine if given the opportunity to do so.
Thank You
Theodore Karakostas