In Zhelobnoye village KP activists want to grab the UOC church

According to the UOJ sources, in Zhelobnoye village of Zhitomir region a religious conflict is burgeoning. Filaret adherents want to seize the UOC church of the Birth of the Mother of God. The church has existed for 257 years now.

There was held a congregation meeting at which the issue was brought up on the further church lot. There were proposed three variants: alternate services; to transfer the church to the KP community; to lock the church until the case is resolved in court proceedings.     

«We tried to get it across to the attendees that the UOC community in the village functions according to the law. Lawlessness is the desire of certain people to seize the church,” tells protopriest Sergey Gritsaniuk, an authorized representative of Zhitomir diocese on regulating interfaith relations and protection of believers’ rights.     

The UOC community in Zhelobnoye village was registered in 1991. In April of the current year there was registered a community of the Kiev Patriarchate. They were offered a land plot to build their own church and two buildings for temporary worship services at their choice until the church construction has been finished. The KP representatives rejected the proposals.

The Chair of the village council announced he will insist on holding referendum at which all members of the village community could express their opinions as for the further church lot. Many villagers do not go to the church at all and do not belong to either of the congregations.    

The UOJ monitors the developments.

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