I was told: if you want to live in peace, join OCU, - DECR head on searches
Metropolitan Meletiy (Egorenko). Photo: Foma in Ukraine
Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna at the sermon on the day of St. John Chrysostom told the details of the search, which took place in the eparchy on November 25, 2022.
"They came at 7 a.m., unexpectedly and spectacularly. They smashed all the doors in the eparchy as if someone did not want to let them in. They came with machine guns, shouting, shrieking, with glass everywhere, saying: 'Get up, hands up!'. I'm in my pyjamas, I don't even know what to do. They read me the order, warned me and started a search. They took away my phones and computer disks. They did not let my lawyer in, as if it were not a democratic free Ukraine, but some kind of North Korea," says the archbishop.
He also said that the SBU gave him "good advice" on how to avoid further such "visits".
"Privately, one of the kind masked men called me over and said: "If you want such a circus not to continue and you live peacefully in the future – shift to the OCU", after which he turned around and left," Metropolitan Meletiy recalled.
As earlier reported, on 25 November the SBU conducted a search in the Chernivtsi Eparchy.
Read also
Dumenko: The enemy has destroyed Ukranian liturgical language for centuries
Epifaniy assured that "imperial invaders" burned Ukrainian liturgical literature.
TRC releases previously detained priest of UOC's Ovruch Eparchy
Believers are thanked for their support and prayers.
Vance: A broken culture tends to turn young people into androgynous idiots
U.S. Vice President stated that modern society seeks to erase differences between genders, shaping people "who think the same, talk the same, and act the same."
In Volyn, UOC priests receive gratitude from AFU for volunteering
The clergy noted that they have always been supported by parishioners and communities willing to share their last resources.
Vance: We don't worry about earthly rewards but how we're doing before God
The Vice President of America shared that he is doing his best to follow God’s will.
Vance: Death is a bad thing, but losing your soul is much more terrible
"The fundamental tenant of the Christian faith is that the Son of God became man, He died and then He raised Himself from the dead," the U.S. Vice President reminded Americans.