Metropolitan Longin says he has been forbidden to take orphans under his care
The UOC hierarch has also been deprived of the ability to protect and care for children currently residing in the orphanage.
On 12 August 2025, following a hearing at the Hertsa District Court in Bukovyna, Metropolitan Longin (Zhar) stated that, while the investigation is ongoing, he is not allowed to take orphans under his care. A video of his address was published on the Bancheny Monastery’s YouTube channel.
According to Metropolitan Longin, the court refuses to grant permission either to him or to the monastery brethren to take children or disabled persons into their care.
“This court in Hertsa does not want to allow giving children under protection. Everyone is refused. Like a criminal, I no longer have the right,” he stressed.
Moreover, the hierarch is effectively deprived of the ability to protect and care for children living in the orphanage. He is not even allowed to accompany them to a medical facility, and any surgical operation requires the signature of the legal guardian.
“Today the time has come when we have no right to live in this state, to have the rights that everyone else has. We must endure a little longer. The Lord will deliver us from our enemies, visible and invisible,” the Bancheny Metropolitan added.
As the UOJ reported, another court hearing was held in Hertsa in the case of Metropolitan Longin.
