Expert on prayer standing in Lutsk: People gathered to protect their rights

Journalist from Lutsk Elena Bukia

Representatives of the UOC gathered for the prayer standing at the walls of the Volyn Regional State Administration to protect their civil rights to a legal name, freedom of religion and their religious buildings, the journalist from Lutsk Elena Bukia told the UOJ.

She noted that the name “Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine” imposed on the UOC is more suitable for the community of the diaspora, not for the generally recognized numerous national canonical Church of Ukraine.

“People have gathered to show that they are the same Ukrainians, that we should not be marginalized. Our parishes also helped the front, helped the ATO soldiers for treatment, the widows of the ATO soldiers, children, etc. Not to mention other social projects that can be freely read. The tendency is very unhealthy when some people are trying to oppose others and to expose these others as "under-citizens". As a matter of fact, we are against it,” the journalist concluded.

On February 28, 2019, at 11:00, in front of the building of the Volyn Regional State Administration, a general prayer standing began to protect the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It was headed by Metropolitan Vladimir of Vladimir-Volynsky and Kovel and Bishop Nathanael of Volyn and Lutsk.

Believers of the Volyn Eparchy of the UOC gave the head of the Volyn Regional State Administration Alexander Savchenko an official appeal in which they demanded that the solution of interfaith issues be translated into legal form and the lawless oppression of the rights and freedoms of Orthodox citizens of Ukraine be stopped. “Ignoring our demands will be considered an intentional violation of human rights and a worsening of the critical situation in interfaith relations in the region,” warned residents of Lutsk and the region.

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