Kruty believers disrupt provocation of UOC KP supporters and radicals

Hundreds of believers of the St. Michael’s community, outraged by the deception, gathered to prevent a provocation. Photo: Nezhin Eparchy

On June 1, 2019, in the village of Kruty of the Nezhin District, representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate and several people who do not attend divine services announced a meeting on behalf of St. Michael’s Community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the press service of the Nezhin Eparchy.

Hundreds of believers of St. Michael’s community, outraged by the deception, gathered to prevent a provocation.

As it turned out, one of the provocateurs had the documents prepared for transferring the religious community to the UOC KP. The UOC believers unanimously demanded an end to the encroachments on the religious peace in the village by the Kiev Patriarchate.

According to eyewitnesses, instead of explaining their actions, the schismatics insulted the community representatives. One of them, a member of the VO “Svoboda”, said that the believers are a “flock” and the locals are “not people”.

In the end, the provocateurs had to disperse with nothing.

The parishioners explain that the instigator of the provocation is a local resident of Kruty, who the villagers refused to elect as the head of the village. Still cherishing the hope to occupy the desired position, he tries to constantly provoke a conflict in the village, making enough of a nuisance of himself.
The second organizer of the incident, Sergei Chutchenko, a representative of the Kiev Patriarchate, has to look for a place for services in various adapted premises after his fellows kicked him out of the UOC KP church in Nezhin.

To put an end to the provocations, on the same day, believers of St. Michael’s parish gathered in their church to thank God, who keeps them in the true Church and the purity of the Orthodox faith, and hold an open meeting of the parish.

Those present at this meeting unanimously expressed their desire to remain under the jurisdiction of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. The decision was documented in the protocol and notified to the authorities of the Chernigov region on the same day.

As reported earlier, this is already the second attempt to shatter the religious situation in the village. The first provocation took place in the spring of this year. Despite the fact that the provocateurs were backed by district authorities, it ended without any result.

Read also

OCU explains why beggars are driven away from St. Michael’s Cathedral

A cleric of Dumenko’s structure admitted that beggars are not tolerated at the OCU’s main monastery because of their “high incomes” and the desire not to damage the site’s image before foreign tourists.

UOC Chancellor: Venerable Anthony founded a monastery, not a reserve

Metropolitan Anthony said that the attempt to turn the Lavra into a state preserve is, in essence, an attempt to lock living Orthodoxy behind a door.

Dumenko discusses countering hostile influence in spiritual life with PO head

The heads of the OCU and the Presidential Office touched on state-church relations and “spiritual security” in wartime.

Albanian Primate speaks about ways to resolve OCU problem

Archbishop John is convinced: disagreements between Moscow and Constantinople can only be overcome through love and dialogue, but not through choosing "sides".

National Memory Institute and SBU open exhibition on UGCC liquidation

An exhibition on the repression of the Uniates has opened in the capital, while state officials search for historical parallels with the present day.

OCU "priest" “allows” parishioners to use priest’s cassock for sex games

Ruslan Usmedinsky said that using a priest’s cassock as a prop for role-playing games can strengthen relationships between couples.