Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu expresses support for UOC faithful in Cherkasy
The response of Metropolitan Nektarios came as an immediate reaction to an open letter from the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who have suffered from the violent seizure of their church.
On June 18, 2025, His Eminence Nektarios, Metropolitan of Corfu of the Church of Greece, sent a message to the clergy and parishioners of the Church of the Nativity of Christ and St. Spyridon of Trimythous in the Cherkasy Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, expressing his brotherly support amid the persecution they are enduring.
His reply was a prompt response to the open appeal from UOC believers affected by the forceful takeover of their church. In his letter, the Metropolitan expressed full solidarity and unwavering support for his brothers in faith in Ukraine.
“The path you are walking is nothing less than a modern-day Way of the Cross. And on this path, you bear the Cross of our Lord with silence, with courage, with prayer, and with great patience,” wrote His Eminence in his message.
Metropolitan Nektarios likened the suffering of the UOC faithful to Golgotha, reminding them of the inevitable Resurrection: “You are living through Golgotha, but do not forget that Resurrection always follows Golgotha.”
Of particular significance is the fact that this support came from Corfu – the blessed island of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, who is the heavenly patron of the very church that suffered in Cherkasy.
“Here on Corfu, the blessed island of Saint Spyridon, we are praying with you. We have not forgotten you; we do not abandon you,” the metropolitan assured the Ukrainian faithful.
Addressing his “beloved fathers and brothers, beloved children,” Metropolitan Nektarios emphasized that their words “are not mere letters on paper with a few signatures; they are drops from your tears and blood, shed in silence but resounding before the throne of God as the cry of the righteous.”
He expressed his “complete support, unwavering assistance, and, above all, constant prayer for each and every one of you.”
The Metropolitan also underscored the special role of St. Spyridon in protecting the church: “Our saint, whose sacred icon you possess as a safeguard and a sign of unity, is your unseen protector. It is he who walks beside you and covers your church with his blessing.”
In closing, Metropolitan Nektarios offered prayers for the healing of all who have suffered from acts of violence, for their clergy “who have become symbols of sacrificial love,” and for every afflicted soul “enduring injustice with dignity and prayer.”
“May our Lord, through the prayers of the wonderworking Saint Spyridon, stir the hearts of all who must be moved, bless you, strengthen you, support you, grant you patience, and bring to your country the longed-for peace!” concluded His Eminence Nektarios.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the UOC faithful in Cherkasy had appealed to Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu for protection.
