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On September 15, 2025 the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia held a virtual meeting in which the stance was determined that a planned award in the USA to honor President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, would be inappropriate, undesireable, and unwarranted.
The ongoing tensions between canonical Orthodoxy and representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate which is in charge of the ceremony are underscored by the planned event. For ROCOR Zelensky is no friend of genuine Orthodox Christianity, rather is seen as a persecutor and destroyer of the faith. Utilizing a spiritual approach in its opposition to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, long a supporter of the Zelensky sponsored “orthodox alternative” Orthodox Church of Ukraine (not in communion with the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church which has historically aligned with the Patriarchate of Moscow), ROCOR views the current tension as a symbol of an enduring truth: the persecution of the Church is temporal while the Church, the “ecclesia,” is eternal and will endure well beyond any harassment in this world.
September 26, 2026, is the date set for the so-called “Beacon of Hope Award” to be bestowed on non-Orthodox Zelensky in the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York City. Ironically, a fall Nor’easter is forecast for that day promising to bring wind, rain, and localized flooding to New York City. All this is expected to be exacerbated by a projected full moon.
An Orthodox protest has also been planned for that day for canonical parishes to protest Zelensky’s presence in NYC and what is deemed to be an inordinate and misnomered “award.” For them, such a bestowment is a propagandistic parody to bolster the Ukrainian president’s perceived goal of “de-Christianization” of Ukraine where the majority Christian denomination is still and has always been canonical Orthodoxy.
More information on this topic at: https://spzh.eu/en/news/95926-rocor-synod-responds-to-upcoming-award-ceremomy-for-zelensky-in-us
