Cherkasy Eparchy holds emergency meeting due to intensified persecution
Metropolitan Theodosiy and the clergy of the Cherkasy Eparchy gathered to discuss how to provide pastoral care under circumstances in which it may no longer be possible to pray in churches.
On May 10, 2025, an emergency meeting was held in the Cherkasy Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), reports the eparchy’s press service.
"Dear clergy of the city of Cherkasy, we have gathered today to discuss the situation we are currently facing due to the open persecution by the authorities against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Cherkasy Eparchy – our parishes and our parishioners," said Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv as he opened the meeting.
According to him, persecution in the region has reached a new level. Previously, when churches were seized by force, the authorities would blame it on unidentified individuals. But on May 6, the mayor himself, Anatolii Bondarenko, with the help of the police, expelled the faithful from St. Andrew’s Church.
"It was the national police that committed a crime in the city of Cherkasy on May 6 of this year. They took from us St. Andrew’s Church, which legally belongs to us. And the mayor supported this action openly, without hiding his face. The sheep masks were torn off the wolves, and they surrounded the flock. The same happened in Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv. And there, the Church is no longer visibly present. Of course, the Church always exists and will continue to exist," Metropolitan Theodosius noted.
In his view, the authorities will continue on this path, so it is important to be prepared to serve under new conditions.
"We are Christ’s shepherds, the ones upon whom God has placed the great responsibility to tend His flock. What does the Lord expect of us now? That the sheep do not go hungry, and that we protect them from the wolves… And we are protecting them as best we can. But do you see what the wolves are doing? They are filling in the sources of grace-filled water, of God's grace; they are occupying the caves where the sheep sleep, filling them with stones. They are trying to drive the sheep into the forest, where it is easiest to tear them apart and eat them. And we, the shepherds, must now completely forget about ourselves, forget everything we had in peaceful times for the sake of saving the flock," the bishop urged.
He expressed confidence that sooner or later, the Lord will stop the persecutors, but for now, it is necessary to be ready to act under these difficult circumstances.
"What must we do? We must ensure that thousands of parishioners in the city have the opportunity to attend services, to confess, and to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Our task is to figure out how, under conditions where all churches registered to religious communities or the Cherkasy Eparchy may be seized, we do not abandon the thousands of faithful in Cherkasy who will never join the schismatics, especially now that they have seen their true face, how to ensure they are not left without services, confession, and communion. And that is the topic we will discuss today and make decisions on in a closed session," said the Metropolitan.
As reported by the UOJ, Metropolitan Theodosiy warned the mayor of Cherkasy: “Justice will return, and you will be held accountable.”
