Lviv: OCU "priest" closes church for parishioners, handing it to daughter

Pavel Goruyko. Photo: facebook.com / NTAchannel

The OCU cleric Pavel Goruyko presented his daughter a church in Lviv, which he had previously made his private property without the knowledge of the parishioners, according to the report of the “NTA” TV channel.

The war for the place of worship between the "pastor" and his flock began when the time came to re-register the temple from the UAOC to the OCU. It turned out that the church is privately owned by Goruyko – according to the documents, the community sold the temple to its rector back in 2009.

The site under the temple belongs to the son-in-law of the OCU cleric. Officially, he received it as collateral for a loan of 100 thousand hryvnias to the community.

The local hierarch of the OCU sent a new rector to the parish, but the owner of the temple replaced the locks on the gates and doors. Parishioners pray in the street, making their way to the service through holes in the fence. Pavel Goruyko is sued in a local court.

Although the conflict has flared up recently, Pavel Goruyko has previously resorted to precarious activities in the parish. One of the parishioners told how in the 1990s their rector promised to buy icons in Italy but instead embezzled the money.

As reported, the OCU cleric, who set a fatal accident while drunk, received 3 years in prison.

Read also

Lavra's empty Dormition Cathedral shown online during patronal vigil

Only about ten people attended the OCU service for the main feast of the Kyiv-Pechersk Dormition Lavra.

UOC Primate officiates Liturgy of the Lord's Cross Procession Feast in Lavra

After the service, Metropolitan Onuphry blessed honey and herbs, which the faithful traditionally bring to churches on this day.