Orthodox community of Triskyni affirms loyalty to UOC

Parishioners of the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in Triskyni. Photo: Screenshot from a video on the Dozor_kozak1 Telegram channel

The community of St. Nicholas Church in the village of Triskyni, Rivne region, released a video statement affirming their loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The video, filmed by believers at the entrance to their church, was published by the Dozor_kozak1 Telegram channel.

"We have gathered here today to affirm our loyalty to our Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, our priest Father Vasyl, and our canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the parishioners stated.

The channel noted that the believers recorded this appeal following calls from OCU representatives to take over the church and transfer it to their jurisdiction. Such appeals were reportedly made during the funerals of soldiers killed at the front.

"This is the fourth time a fallen soldier has been buried in the village," journalists from First Cossack reported. "Each time, Epifaniy’s clergy literally use the soldier’s coffin as a platform for their propaganda, calling on villagers to seize the Orthodox church and transfer it to the OCU. Instead of focusing on offering words of support to the families of the fallen, saying something meaningful about the deceased, and helping to heal emotional wounds, they incite hostility against UOC believers and urge villagers to take over St. Nicholas Church for the OCU. Everyone understands that these calls will not simply fade away – this is just the beginning. Next, OCU’s sacrilegious followers will likely attempt to ‘transfer’ the sanctuary."

The report emphasized that the parishioners of St. Nicholas Church "are asking all concerned people not to allow this lawlessness to happen in their village."

As previously reported by the UOJ, on August 2, 2023, OCU representatives climbed through a window into St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in Bila Tserkva in an attempt to seize the sanctuary.

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