Onufriy’s Ukrainian citizenship terminated – SBU, UOC-MP denies
2 July 2025 20:22
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree to terminate the citizenship of Ukraine of Orest Berezovskyy, better known as Metropolitan Onufriy, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP).
This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine on July 2, 2025.
At the same time, the text of the decree has not yet been published on the website of the President’s Office, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the SBU, in 2002, Onufriy voluntarily received the citizenship of the Russian Federation and did not inform the Ukrainian authorities about it. At the same time, he continued to enjoy the rights of a Ukrainian citizen.
In addition, according to the Security Service, the Metropolitan maintained ties with the Russian Orthodox Church and actively opposed the Ukrainian Church’s gaining canonical independence. The SBU noted that even after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Onufriy continued to actually adhere to the policies of the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev).
At the same time, in a commentary toSuspilne, the spokesman for the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Klyment, said that Metropolitan Onufriy does not have passports of other states and added that he intends to appeal the decision to terminate his citizenship. The UOC-MP also emphasized that Onufriy had never applied to foreign countries, including Russia, for citizenship.
It is worth noting that according to Article 25 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a citizen of Ukraine cannot be deprived of citizenship. However, according to Article 106, the president has the right to decide on the termination of citizenship within the law.
Who is Metropolitan Onufriy?
MetropolitanOnufriy (born Orest Volodymyrovych Berezovsky) is a Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), its Primate since 2014. He is one of the most influential and at the same time the most controversial church figures in Ukraine. Here is some basic information about him:
Biography:
- Born: november 5, 1944 in the Chernivtsi region.
- In 1966 he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, then the Moscow Theological Academy.
- In 1971, he took monasticism under the name Onufriy at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
- In the 1990s, he returned to Ukraine, where he held church positions in the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy.
- In 2014, after the death of Metropolitan Volodymyr, he was elected head of the UOC-MP.
Church position:
- He heads the UOC-MP, which officially declares “independence and autonomy in its administration” but remains in unity with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
- Opposes the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
- He maintained canonical ties with Moscow even after the outbreak of Russian aggression in 2014 and 2022.
Scandals and accusations:
- After Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Security Service of Ukraine accused him of having ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, which supports the war.
- In 2025, the SBU reported that Onufriy had voluntarily obtained Russian citizenship in 2002 and failed to notify Ukraine.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree terminating his Ukrainian citizenship.
Position of the UOC-MP:
- The UOC-MP denies that Onufriy has any other citizenship.
- Onufriy and his spokesman, Metropolitan Klyment, declare their intention to appeal the decree and defend their Ukrainian citizenship.
