UOC Bishop Gedeon (Kharon) is to be deported from Ukraine

The abbot of the UOC Desiatinny (Tithe – Ed.) monastery, Bishop Gedeon (Kharon) of Makarov was detained at the Borispol airport and is about to be deported, Protodeacon Anthony, Secretary of Gedeon, told Facebook.

“Where he is to be deported is unknown because he is a citizen of Ukraine. He was born in Ukraine. And at the moment he is deprived of citizenship, and where to deport is not clear,” shared Protodeacon Anthony.

He asked the UOC believers to pray for Bishop Gedeon.

The secretary of the canonical church's hierarch informed the UOJ that the staff of the State Border Service of Ukraine had no questions to the abbot of the Tithe Monastery.

The detention of the hierarch of the UOC was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, which seized the passport from him and declared it “lost”, said Protodeacon Anthony. The fact that with the allegedly “lost” document, Vladyka Gedeon flew out of Ukraine and passed the border control in the United States didn’t cause any scruples among law enforcement officers. Representatives of the Security Service also stated that Bishop Gedeon had lost his Ukrainian citizenship and the issue of his deportation was being resolved.

“I am at the Borispol airport where I was not let to go due to the fact that “citizenship was cancelled and is no longer valid.” Although, when I was leaving 15 days ago, there were no problems. There were no court decisions, no President’s orders. Just because my passport was allegedly lost. But I did not give any comments. “Nothing,” commented later on Facebook the vicar of the Kiev Metropolis what had happened to him. “This is all about the religious and political pressure and lawlessness being the case in Ukraine today.”

On February 5, 2019, Bishop Gedeon (Kharon) of Makarov, vicar of the Kiev Metropolis, abbot of the Tithe Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, presented the evidence of discrimination of the canonical Church by the Ukrainian authorities to the US Congress. Bishop Gedeon also conveyed to the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and the American congressmen an official appeal of the UOC, in which the Church asks to consider cases of violation of the rights and freedoms of believers.

When asked by the journalists then whether the Ukrainian authorities would increase pressure on the Church and on the bishop himself after his speech in the US Congress, Vladyka replied that anything could happen. But he added that he hopes that with the help of the Governments of America the situation would be able to reach a plateau.