OCU adherents seize the temple of the canonical Church in Riasniki

Supporters of the OCU in Riasniki seized the Holy Protection temple of the UOC. Photo: UOJ

On November 23, at 5:00 a.m., supporters of the OCU broke open the door to the Holy Protection temple in the village of Riasniki, Goshcha district, Rovno region, and entered the church where, according to eyewitnesses, they were doing some kind of “service”.

The witnesses said the invaders had broken open the door of the Orthodox temple of the UOC, which belongs to the monuments of architecture of Ukraine, with an ax. In addition, they reported that among those who had come to grab the church were only local residents.

The believers of the community of the Holy Protection temple of the UOC called the police. However, law enforcement officers did not take any action against the raiders.

At the moment, believers of the canonical Church are performing a divine service at the entrance to the temple, inside of which there are supporters of the OCU with the priests of this structure who joined them.

Recall that the interfaith conflict with attempts to seize the temple of the canonical Church has been going on in Riasniki since 2015. For this time, the UOC community has repeatedly proved its case in various courts of Ukraine. In addition, the believers appealed the decree of the head of the Rovno Regional State Administration, which demanded that the community in Riasniki serve alternately with the OCU.

Then the activists of the newly created religious organization tried to seize the temple of the canonical Church, but the believers thwarted this attempt. Since then, the parishioners have organized night shifts in the courtyard of the temple.

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