Orthodox Charity In N. America Receives Threats Over Links To Russian Church - President

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2022) Members of an Orthodox charity in North America, which is providing support to Ukrainian refugees, are receiving death threats over their indirect links to the Russian Orthodox Church, President of Fund for Assistance (FFA) for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) Mark Selawry told Sputnik.

"There is an increasing development that is very concerning when anyone, or any organization, or any affiliation with the Russian Church, are labeled by ignorant people as being 'pro-Putin,' and there are death threats, there are threats made to those who go to churches, to the parishioners and to the clergy," Selawry said.

FFA's treasurer, a priest from Montreal, has received personal death threats and threats toward the church, so parishioners asked the police to protect them, he added.

"We are an organization collecting funds to help those in Ukraine regardless of political views, and we are now becoming a target of criticism and attacks from people who are sadly misguided" Selawry said.

Selawry called individuals threatening parishioners "ignoramuses", who think that the members of the church support what is going on in Ukraine just because they are Russian Orthodox Church believers.

The parishioners are actually praying for peace and raising donations for refugees, Selawry said.