Ukrainian Orthodox Church lawyer slams 'vicious' campaign against ancient Christian denomination
A lawyer representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is insisting that Christian leaders and politicians in the United States are remaining silent on the Ukrainian government’s targeting of the Christian denomination because of a “humongous ban on truth.”
In an interview with Tucker Carlson on X, Bob Amsterdam, an attorney representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, explained the history and present circumstances surrounding the historic branch of Christianity.
Carlson began the interview by lamenting modern global events that "seem like an attack on Christianity," including the decimation of the Christian population in Iraq and U.S. policies that have led to the killing of Christians in Syria, followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the impetus for the government's banning of “an entire Christian denomination” and the jailing of clergy, even as the U.S. allocates over $113.4 billion in economic, humanitarian and military aid to that country funded by American taxpayers.
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Ep. 34 Of all of Biden’s crimes, backing the Ukrainian government as it throws priests in jail may be the most revealing. pic.twitter.com/ZCVV4uPzs9
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 26, 2023
Amsterdam identified the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as “the home of Orthodoxy in Ukraine” that has “been around for a thousand years.” He explained that “five years ago, the Ukrainian government, in its wisdom, set up what is called an autocephalous church.” Amsterdam defined an autocephalous church as “an independent church” that does not have “any connection to the Russian canons.”
The Ukrainian government “decided that that church should replace the spiritual home of Ukrainians,” He added, lamenting that “that church, called the OCU, has been engaged in an absolutely vicious, unlimited campaign to steal property, harass, intimidate and jail clerics, force conscription on believers, act in a manner that is almost unbelievable in a civilized society.”
“They’ll use the excuse that this church, which, by the way, completely separated from Moscow in May of last year, is somehow connected to the Russian [Federal Security Service],” he said. “But based on the testimonies I’ve reviewed, there seems to be little substance to this allegation.”
According to Amsterdam, “There are other institutions in Ukraine, like the Secret Police, who have been far more infiltrated by Russia than this particular church. Yet, there is a reason for it, and it’s a sad reason.”
“The politicians in Ukraine, including perhaps the president [Volodymyr Zelensky], want to take the populist vote of those behind this new church and therefore feel it is in their political interest to destroy this ancient branch of Christianity,” he asserted. “I absolutely can tell you that the damage that has been visited on the leadership of this church, including five-year jail sentences for 75-year-old clerics, just astounds you.”
Carlson detailed interactions he had with Christian leaders in the U.S. about the Ukrainian government’s treatment of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, expressing concerns that they have dismissed members of the denomination as “not really Christians” but rather “Russian agents.”
Amsterdam attributed the lack of interest from American Christian leaders and politicians to the fact that “the Ukraine lobby is immensely powerful.”
“There is a humongous ban on truth right now in the United States with respect to what’s happening in Ukraine. Many of our leaders in the United States aren’t even hearing this. It’s the same in Europe. You cannot get through the massive [public relations] machine that the Ukrainians have put together.”
Amsterdam stressed that “there is no basis under the Ukrainian Constitution or under international law or the laws of war or Ukraine’s own resolution in terms of limited rights during the war for the ... banning of a religious denomination.” He described the Ukrainian government’s banning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as “beyond anything acceptable” as well as a violation of several international laws and norms.
The interview concluded with Amsterdam classifying Ukrainian Orthodox Christians as “the most devout part of the Ukrainian populace.” In response, Carlson suggested that the persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians is “because they are the most devout.” Carlson views the treatment of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians as part of “an attack on Christianity” by western governments.
“Thanks to the Neocon Project, virtually the entire ancient Christian population of Iraq was eliminated. The U.S. government, under several presidents, has funded effectively the killing of Christians in Syria,” he said.
As Carlson and Amsterdam alluded to in their conversation, the U.S. and other governments have rallied around Ukraine over the past year-and-a-half as the Eastern European country finds itself entangled in a prolonged conflict with Russia.
Carlson highlighted U.S. support for Ukraine both financially and militarily in the caption accompanying his interview with Amsterdam, remarking that “Of all of [President Joe] Biden’s crimes, backing the Ukrainian government as it throws priests in jail may be the most revealing.”
As The Christian Post previously reported, the Ukrainian government conducted raids on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Pochaiv Theological Seminary and Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy and investigated dozens of Ukrainian Orthodox Church priests on suspicion that they were sympathetic to Russia.
The Ukrainian Security Service claimed that they found “pamphlets and books of xenophobic and hateful content with offensive fictions” during the raids, which a UOC bishop defended as “printed matter, documents, which are not prohibited under Ukrainian law.”
Zelensky defended the raids of the churches, which have historical ties to Moscow that have since been severed, as necessary to “ensure that no strings are available to be pulled by the aggressor state that could make Ukrainian society suffer.”
The Ukrainian Security Service has claimed that the agency “adheres to the principle of impartiality towards the activities of any religious denomination and respects the right of every citizen to freedom of worldview and religion, as defined by the Constitution of Ukraine.”
In exclusive columns for The Christian Post Hedieh Mirahmadi, warned against Zelensky's law to ban all religious organizations “affiliated with centers of influence” in Russia.
Mirahmadi writes in part, "Zelensky’s ban on the religious activities of the UOC, despite its formal split from Moscow, effectively curtails the spiritual practices of millions of already beleaguered Ukrainian people. They will not be allowed to attend their church, seek prayer from their pastors, or associate with the church community they have sought comfort from their whole lives.
She added: "We claim Ukraine's battle against Russia is a fight for democracy, but sending the army into monasteries is not promoting liberty. This latest move by our ally in Ukraine should be grounds for a loud outcry from Christians, regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum. Unfortunately, Christian members of Congress continue to back Zelensky, no matter how many Christians he arrests or churches he seizes."
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
