Georgia’s Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III congratulated Metropolitan Onufriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) on the 12th anniversary of his enthronement.
Shio III described Onufriy (born Orest Berezovsky) as “a true example of devoted love for his people and the Church of Christ.” He wished the Metropolitan good health and God’s assistance and peace and divine grace to Ukraine and the entire world.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church published the text of Shio III’s congratulatory message.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had been under the Moscow Patriarchate, condemned the aggression and announced that it was severing ties with the Moscow Patriarchate. However, it did not officially declare autocephaly, and, according to Ukrainian authorities, it has not severed its ties with Moscow either.
In 2024, Ukraine’s parliament passed a law banning the activities of religious organizations with ties to Russia. The law was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August 2024.
In 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revoked Metropolitan Onufriy’s Ukrainian citizenship. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that Berezovsky had obtained Russian citizenship in 2002 without notifying the Ukrainian authorities and had continued to hold Ukrainian citizenship.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says that Berezovsky maintains ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and deliberately opposed the canonical independence of the Ukrainian Church from Moscow.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine, recognized by the Ukrainian authorities, was granted a Tomos of Autocephaly by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in January 2019. The primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.
The Georgian Orthodox Church has not recognized the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to date.
