OCU supporters seize the Holy Protection Church in the village of Kovpyta

OCU activists unauthorizedly broke locks and entered the UOC church in the village of Kovpyta

On Saturday, March 9, 2019, in the village of Kovpyta, Chernigov region, an unauthorized seizure of the UOC church by supporters of the new “Ukrainian Church” took place. Among the invaders, the “priest” of the OCU Yevgeny Orda was noticed.

The “inventory of property according to the decision of the village council dated February 22 about breaking the lease from the MP in Ukraine and the transfer of the temple premises” is taking place in the Holy Protection Church,” Natalia Iranka, the head of the regional branch of the “Right Sector” wrote on her Facebook page. 

Currently, representatives of the Chernigov Eparchy of the UOC, including the secretary Protopriest Igor Pidan and the dean of Chernigov Deanery Protopriest Nikolai Maiboroda are going to the police to file a complaint on the violation of the rights of the religious community of the Holy Protection Church.

“Neither the initiative group of the Brothers of the Evangelists nor the so-called OCU community has the right to invade a building belonging to the UOC community,” representatives of the Chernigov Eparchy commented to the UOJ on the current situation.

Earlier, on March 6, 2019, the religious community sued the village council, which overturned the decision of the village council of February 11, 2003, to transfer the building of the church to the UOC community. The eparchy states that this procedure was carried out with violations.

The UOJ is monitoring the developments.

We recall that in the village of Kovpyta, Chernigov region, at a village meeting, a deputy of the regional council incited the residents to vote for the transfer to the OCU. On January 25, 2019, the community of the Holy Protection Church in the village of Kovpyta unanimously supported the UOC and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine. On January 26, 2019, the local residents who are not permanent parishioners of the church voted for the “voluntary transfer” of the community and the Holy Protection Church of the village of Kovpyta to the OCU.

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