OCCzLS bishop withdraws his signature from Synod decision in support of UOC

On September 8, 2024, Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka) of the Olomouc-Brno Diocese sent a letter expressing his disagreement with the statement made by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia on September 3. In that statement, the Synod expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, and condemned the law passed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine aimed at restricting the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the aggressor state.

In his letter, which came into UOJ's possession, Bishop Isaiah noted that despite his respect for the Synod members, he could not support their position regarding Law No. 8371, which he believes was passed legitimately and in accordance with democratic procedures. He emphasized that "Ukraine is a democratic state with an elected parliament" and that the law targets organizations in any way connected with or cooperating with the aggressor state.

Furthermore, Bishop Isaiah criticized the Synod for failing to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine or speak out against the actions of Patriarch Kirill, who supports this aggression. He also expressed doubts that the UOC has truly separated from the Moscow Patriarchate, as the Russian Orthodox Church still considers Metropolitan Onuphry its bishop.

The hierarch of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia called for a swift resolution of the ecclesiastical issue in Ukraine at a pan-Orthodox level to eliminate existing jurisdictional contradictions. He stressed that support for the UOC in its current form could be perceived as indirect support for Patriarch Kirill and the Moscow Patriarchate.

As the UOJ previously reported, Bishop Isaiah (Slaninka), who earlier removed the rector of a parish in Brno, Czech Republic, and appointed himself as its head, deprived the community of access to the church.