OCU rescues its "priest" taken by military officers on the street
Illia Kuziuk. Photo: Kuziuk’s Facebook
On 5 December 2023, in the centre of Chernivtsi, TRC officers stopped a 45-year-old OCU "priest" Illia Kuziuk from the village of Chervona Dibrova, put him in a car and took him to the military recruitment office, the Zaxid resource reports.
Kuziuk was in secular clothes. He was held for 2 hours in the Chernivtsi Territorial Recruitment Centre (TRC) and then sent to Rivne. To Kuziuk's objections that he is a "clergyman", the military replied that they would send him to serve as a chaplain, as the army is very short of them. The OCU called Kuziuk's detention a "kidnapping." According to the Orthodox Spiritual Centre, the head of the Chernivtsi TRC, Serhiy Potiakov, said that this was his principled position: "This priest will serve in the army!".
Nevertheless, the OCU managed to get its cleric out of the TRC, claiming that he "did not attend the military department during his studies".
"We have a queue to register as a priest at a military unit. One must have the appropriate training. Fr Illia does not have such, he came to our eparchy immediately after studying at the Kyiv seminary," said "priest" Roman Hryshchuk.
Kuziuk himself on his Facebook wrote that he "does not refuse to serve in the AFU", but in the rear, he will be more useful.
As reported, OCU and UGCC clerics do not want to go to the front as chaplains.
Read also
UOC starts Easter charity drive to support children of displaced families
The UOC has launched a charity initiative: 2,000 Easter kulichi will be delivered to children from displaced families, to orphans and boarding-school pupils, and to families in front-line regions.
Volodymyr city authorities formalizing transfer of UOC chapel to OCU
During a briefing, the mayor of Volodymyr in Volyn Region reported on the progress of paperwork to transfer the UOC chapel dedicated to St Volodymyr into OCU ownership.
President’s Office head celebrates Purim with Jews
Kyrylo Budanov and his deputy, Iryna Mudra, visited Kyiv’s Jewish community.
OCU delegation hands gifts to Patriarch Bartholomew from Epifaniy Dumenko
An OCU delegation visited the residence of the head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Phanar to congratulate Patriarch Bartholomew on his birthday and deliver gifts.
Middle Eastern Christians face growing threat amid Iran war, advocates warn
A Catholic rights organization says a fresh escalation could push the region’s Christian communities to the brink of disappearance.
German McDonald's removes food from adverts until sunset over Ramadan
In Germany, during the Muslim fast, a fast-food chain hides food images in advertising during the day and shows them only in the evening.