“over 12 years of ministry, the Primate has had to endure war, persecution of the Church, the seizure of churches, and the prosecution of clergy

“his team will pursue all legal measures to challenge the unlawful detention, the passport confiscation, and what he called the illegal mobilization attempt against the priest

“the Primate of the UOC was called to his ministry during a difficult period in the history of the Church and has become for his flock a true good shepherd

“the diocese stated that it would use all legally available means to appeal the detention of the hierarch, the seizure of the passport, and the attempt to mobilize the clergyman, and asked the faithful to pray for Father Anatoliy

“These were very difficult months for us, following the passing of His Holiness and as our Church continued its life without him

“the primatial feat of His Beatitude Onuphrius, his courageous stand for the purity of Orthodoxy, and his unwavering faithfulness to the Truth of Christ, which, in the words of the hierarch, serve as a lofty example for the entire Orthodox world

“No matter how hard enemies and ‘friends’ may try, I am convinced there is a line His Beatitude Onuphry will never cross. He will not buy temporary peace at the price of departing from the canonical order of the Church, nor will he call something ‘the salvation of the Church’ if it destroys its unity. This is not stubbornness. It is faithfulness to Christ and the responsibility of a Primate before God for the Church entrusted to him

“During these twelve years, the Lord has entrusted Your Beatitude with the care of His flock during extraordinarily difficult trials. Amid all these trials, Your unwavering ministry has been a witness to the undying hope that we find in Christ, who remains the Good Shepherd of His people