Confrontation of OCU activists with parishioners ends in Berezhnitsa

Church of St. Michael the Archangel of God in the village of Berezhnitsa

On March 8, 2019, the assault by OCU activists of the temple of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Berezhnitsa, Chernovtsy region, was over, reports the official website of the Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy of the UOC on Facebook.

At 3 o'clock am, after 20 hours of confrontation between the parishioners of the canonical Church and supporters of the new church structure, the chairman of the village council Vasily Solomko sealed the Church of the Holy Archangel Michael.

The rector, Father Constantine, still had the keys to the church.

2 people who all this time were in the temple, were released.

The rector led one of them by the hand to the police car. On the way, they received blows from OCU activists, but law enforcers intervened only when the UOC parishioner was in the car.

The fate of the second believer is still unknown.

At 3:15 am, the confronting sides dispersed.

The Liturgy led by the rector of the UOC church, Fr. Konstantin, was announced for March 10 at 8 am.

On March 7, 2019, from 7:00 to 8:00, activists of the PCU attacked a church in the village of Berezhnitsa. About 100 people broke into the territory of the temple: they hacked the lock with a crowbar and damaged the gate. Supporters of the new church structure made the requirement to introduce alternate service or seal the church so that no one could serve in it. The assaulters would not let anyone but their own enter the territory of the temple. The situation was not resolved even after they had been read out a court decision, which obliged the law enforcement agencies to begin criminal proceedings concerning the impediment to the Archangel Michael parish of the village of Berezhnitsa to perform religious rites. At 23:50, a fight began, the parishioners of the temple were injured. At 1:13 am the fight ended, after which the head of the village council offered a compromise – the rector of the church will serve on Sunday, but only local residents will be allowed to enter the church. OCU activists refused to compromise.

The editorial board of the UOJ reminds: in case of violation of the rights of the episcopate, clergy, laity and institutions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (obstruction of worship, seizure of temples, commission of provocations and pressure, threats, etc.) one should immediately contact the Legal Department of the UOC by phone: 097- 537-55-96.

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