SBU conducts searches of temples and monasteries of UOC in nine regions
The SBU is looking for agents in Orthodox monasteries. Photo: SBU Telegram channel
On 14 December 2022, SBU officers carried out counter-intelligence operations at UOC (MP) facilities in Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Rivne, Volyn, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Lviv, Zhytomyr, and Kherson regions, reads the message on the SBU Telegram channel.
The following temples have been inspected and searched:
- Holy Ascension Cathedral (Uzhhorod);
- Holy Intercession Сhurch (Uzhhorod);
- St. John the Theologian Khreshchatyk Monastery (Chernivtsi district);
- Assumption Monastery (Chernivtsi district);
- Lipki Assumption Monastery (Lipki village, Rivne region);
- The Iberian Icon of the Most-Holy Virgin Convent in the “Yusefin” tract (Sarny district);
- Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen Monastery (Kostiantynivka village, Mykolayiv district);
- Holy Spirit Cathedral (Romny);
- Archdeacon-Stephen Church (Romny);
- Holy Trinity Church (Lviv);
- St. Amphilochios of Pochaiv Church (Mostysk);
- Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin (Boryslav);
- Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ (Korosten);
- Holy Transfiguration Cathedral (Ovruch);
- Ovruch-Korosten Eparchy (Ovruch);
- St. Basil's Cathedral (Ovruch);
- Saint Basil's Monastery (Ovruch);
- Church of the Icon of Kazan (Chornobaivka).
Special services officers inspect the territory and premises in search of "persons involved in illegal activities to the detriment of the state sovereignty of Ukraine and items prohibited for circulation". The searches are carried out "with the direct participation of representatives of the church".
The SBU stressed that counter-intelligence measures in churches and monasteries are carried out to protect the population.
"These measures are carried out among other things to rule out the use of religious communities as the 'Russian world' hotbeds and to protect the population from provocations and terrorist acts," the SBU explained.
As the UOJ wrote, the Kharkiv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reported that it had no complaints against the SBU.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.