SBU conducts searches of UOC in Cherkasy, Volyn and Kherson regions
SBU conducts searches in five dioceses of the UOC: Photo: SBU
On December 7, 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it was carrying out counterintelligence activities in the Cherkasy, Volyn, Uman and Zvenyhorod, Volodymyr-Volyn and Kherson dioceses of the UOC. This was reported by the press service of the department.
In particular, we are talking about the Chartoryysk Exaltation of the Cross Monastery of the Volyn diocese of the UOC, the Myltsi St. Nicholas Monastery of the Volodymyr-Volyn diocese of the UOC, the Assumption Cathedral (Kherson), the Office of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC, St. Michael's Cathedral (Cherkasy city), Sunday school and the library of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC (Cherkasy city), the Administration of the Uman-Zvenyhorod diocese (Uman), the St. George Convent (Uman district), the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called (Cherkasy city), the Holy Trinity Motronynsk Convent (Cherkasy district), Krasnohorsk Holy Intercession Convent (Zolotonosha district), the religious community "The Parish of St. Sophrony, Bishop of Irkutsk" (Cherkasy city), Kaniv Assumption Cathedral (Kaniv, Cherkasy district).
The searches are carried out with the participation of police officers and the National Guard.
The security forces note they are trying to prevent "the use of religious communities as a cell of the ‘Russian world’ and to protect the population from provocations and terrorist acts."
The SBU conducts an inspection of the territory and premises to identify persons who “possibly are involved in illegal activities to the detriment of the state sovereignty of Ukraine, and items prohibited for circulation.”
As the UOJ reported, the National Guard, the National Police and the SBU are conducting large-scale searches in the dioceses of the UOC.
Read also
Feminists attack Roman Catholic churches in Latin America
During protest actions, members of radical groups attacked cathedrals in several Latin American countries, assaulted police officers, and threw paint at believers.
UOC hierarch takes part in German bishops’ conference
Bishop Veniamin of Boyarka took part in the OBKD assembly in Düsseldorf.
Ivano-Frankivsk scraps school project planned on demolished UOC church site
The authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk have dropped plans to build the school for whose construction a UOC church was demolished.
Shostatsky to UOC: If you are so righteous – do not cling to your churches
The OCU metropolitan called on UOC faithful and clergy to pray rather than defend their churches from seizures.
Archbishop John: The Church is not a special group – it is open to everyone
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania explained why the Church cannot shut itself off from people and what danger arises when believers begin to feel that it is “ours.”
Shostatsky: We have a real personnel shortage in the OCU
Metropolitan Simeon (Shostatsky) said that OCU clerics have to travel to as many as five parishes over a weekend so that believers are not left without services.