UOC church seized in Khreschatyk, people thrown out
Seizure of the UOC Church in Khreschatyk, Chernivtsi Region. Photo: screenshot from the video spzh.news
On February 15, 2023, supporters of the OCU seized the Church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in the village of Khreschatyk in the Chernivtsi region. Parishioners of the church reported this to the UOJ.
According to eyewitnesses, OCU activists broke all the locks on the church doors and then burst inside:
"After the service, they took over the church, locked the doors, and did not let anyone else in. They were arguing, shouting, and singing the Ukrainian anthem," the believers said. "Then they threw the priest (from the UOC) out onto the street. In the afternoon, a drunken 'priest' from the OCU came, who started insulting people, could not stand on his feet, and rushed to the altar. He said that everything here belonged to him."
It is known that the organizers of the church raid are local businessmen – agronomist Serhiy Luchyk and furniture store owner Volodymyr Tyasko.
"Our village is small, only 900 people. And it benefits our agronomist to take over the church. Because this way neither his son, nor his son-in-law, nor other relatives will be taken to the war. It's terrible that people who never went to church came to destroy everything here," the parishioners added.
As the UOJ reported, people in camouflage attempted to seize the Intercession church of the UOC in the village of Trebukhiv, Kyiv region.
Read also
SBU names UOC priest’s wife a suspect in Cherkasy region
The SBU accused Matushka Kateryna Prykotenko of “spreading enemy propaganda” through correspondence with parishioners.
UGCC cleric calls Russian Orthodox literature dangerous for clergy
While examining the causes of divisions within the UGCC, Yustyn Boiko concluded that Russian Orthodox literature had influenced Greek Catholic clergy.
UOC will play major role in achieving peace, says Vadym Novynskyi
UOC Protodeacon Vadym Novynskyi believes the Church will help bring about reconciliation within Ukrainian society after the war ends.
Catholic media outraged by forcible conscription of Uniate cleric
The Vatican’s Apostolic Nunciature has demanded the return of a forcibly mobilized Greek Catholic cleric.
Rivne court fines man for criticizing parish's "transfer" to OCU
A resident of the Rivne region was convicted over Facebook posts criticizing the “transfer” of a religious community in the village of Butove to the OCU.
Novynskyi: I quoted the Gospel to Zelensky on first day of war
The former Ukrainian MP said he advised Davyd Arakhamia to begin negotiations with Russia in the first days of the full-scale war and later spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky.