Schismatics from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the Peter and Paul Church of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the village of Khoriv, Rivne region. About this June 6 reported Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate with reference to the Rivne diocese of the UOC.
“On the morning of June 6, the raiders entered the territory of the temple, pushed the parishioners out of the fence, closed the gate and broke down the door of the church. The attackers were guarded by the police. After that, a “commission” consisting of members of the OCU community entered the temple. Neither believers of the canonical Church, nor representatives of the authorities were included in the “commission”, ”the message says.
It is noted that the temple community has collected photo and video evidence of the capture and will go to court.
Earlier, on May 30, in the village of Chernyakhiv, Kyiv region, the temple of the canonical UOC was seized. 10 people cut the locks and entered the temple.
On May 27, in the village of Staraya Zhadova, Chernivtsi region, the priest of the OCU tried to cut the locks on the door of the UOC church with the help of a grinder. The man in the cassock was stopped by the parishioners of the church. They pushed him away and called the police.
Supporters of the OCU on May 20 illegally seized the St. Elias Church of the UOC in the village of Borochich, Volyn region. The parishioners of the church did not take part in the meeting, at which the decision to transfer to the jurisdiction of the OCU was allegedly agreed upon.
In May, raider seizures of churches in Ukraine resumed. So, on May 7, there was an attempt to capture the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Mitintsy, Khmelnitsky region. The raiders broke the lock on the gate and broke into the territory of the temple, where at that moment the believers of the canonical UOC were praying. One of the attackers with a knife ran up to the child who was ringing the bell and cut the cord.
On the same day, the Union of Orthodox Journalists announced the capture of St. Michael’s Church in the city of Boyarka, Kyiv region, by schismatics. After that, the parishioners of the UOC had to pray in the open air.
The pressure of OCU supporters on the UOC intensified after the publication of a warning on March 10 on the website of the Lavra signed by Oleksandr Rudnyk, who at that time was acting. General Director of the National Reserve “Kiev-Pechersk Lavra”, that the monks must leave the monastery before March 29. They were offered to stay in the Lavra on the condition of transferring to the schismatic OCU.
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