In Rzhavintsy, Bukovyna, OCU activists together with police raid UOC temple
Raiders breaking the door of the UOC temple in the village of Rzhavintsy. Photo: a video screenshot from the Facebook page of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy
On 20 December 2023, in the village of Rzhavintsy, Chernivtsi region, OCU supporters seized the Holy Trinity Church of the UOC, reports the press service of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Raiders backed by police officers with the help of a crowbar and an angle grinder broke the door of the temple and got inside.
The seizure of the shrine was personally led by the chairman of the Yurkovtsy Village Council Vitaliy Shafer (Rzhavintsy belongs to the Yurkovetsky UTC).
"This is how a ‘voluntary’ transfer to the OCU looks like when the police fence off the temple parishioners and the raiders break down the door. What god do they pray to after that?" the press service commented on the video of the temple seizure, published on the eparchy's Facebook page.
On 24 November 2023, activists and "priests" of the OCU held a meeting of their supporters in the village House of Culture, where they voted for the "transition" of the Trinity parish of the UOC to the Epifaniy Dumenko structure.
As reported, on 18 December 2023, OCU raiders seized the UOC's Peter and Paul Church in the town of Bucha, Kyiv region.
Read also
Archbishop Simeon speaks about situation surrounding Sinai Monastery
The new abbot of the Sinai monastery hopes the issue of recognition by the Egyptian authorities will be resolved soon.
UOC files complaint over arbitrariness in Kuzmyn church seizure – lawyer
Following the forcible seizure of the UOC Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in the Khmelnytskyi region, a crime report has been filed and court actions have been launched.
Armenian Church hierarch moved from pretrial detention to house arrest
Yerevan’s Court of Appeal granted the defense motion for Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan.
In Baturyn, armed police "guard" convent from nuns and parishioners
Sisters of the St. Nicholas Krupytsky Convent of the UOC and local believers have been denied entry to the monastery grounds for hours, which has been turned into a restricted facility.
UOC's foreign mission reports manipulations around its activities
The Western European Vicariate emphasized that UOC parishes abroad operate independently and were created for the spiritual care of the Ukrainian diaspora.
Clergy meeting of Western European Vicariate of UOC held in Italy
The annual gathering of clergy of the Vicariate took place in the city of Bari under the chairmanship of Bishop Veniamin.