"Priest" of OCU brings gunmen to the church "to glorify God"

Oleksandr Dediukhin with gunmen in the church. Photo: Alexander Dedyukhin's Facebook page

Oleksandr Dediukhin with gunmen in the church. Photo: Alexander Dedyukhin's Facebook page

Oleksandr Dediukhin, a deputy of the Poltava City Council and a part-time "priest" of the OCU, posted a photo on Facebook with two gunmen at the royal gates of his church and criticized the authorities for the draft law on establishing a Day of Thanksgiving to God.

"To thank God, I don't need a special law. I don't need a special day," wrote Dediukhin, advising the authorities to instead adopt a "normal law banning the Moscow Patriarchate."

Not everyone appreciated the photo with the gunmen in the comments.

"Not enough weapons, though. Not convincing," sarcastically wrote Oleksandr Shramko to Dediukhin, to which the OCU cleric replied that "it is enough for the glory of the Lord."

Other subscribers of Dediukhin liked the snapshot. "Cool pic!" wrote Marina Doroshenko.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Oleksandr Dediukhin joked about "Our Father" prayer at the Poroshenko party congress.

Medieval сhurch сrumbles as Culture Ministry сites missing agreement

The 14th–15th-century St. Nicholas Church in Chesnyky, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, is falling into disrepair.

Poland сondemns Lviv Regional Council's decision to declare 2007 year of UPA

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the Lviv Regional Council's decision to dedicate 2027 to the UPA and Roman Shukhevych is harmful to Ukraine.

OCU seeks court recognition of ownership of seized Cherkasy cathedral

The Cherkasy Regional Commercial Court will hear an OCU lawsuit seeking ownership of St. Michael's Cathedral, which was seized from UOC believers.

Lithuanian bishop: Ukraine is no model for believers' rights

Vicar of Vilnius Diocese voices concern over attempts to import Ukraine's religious conflict into Lithuania.

Hundreds of believers honor St. Alexis of Carpatho-Russia in Khust Eparchy

At the St. Nicholas Monastery in the village of Iza-Karputlash, Metropolitan Mark of Khust led a festive liturgy, concelebrated by six metropolitans, five archbishops and three bishops.

Court upholds UOC parish appeal in Voloshky over OCU switch dispute

The Northern Commercial Court of Appeal has upheld the appeal of the St. Nicholas parish of the UOC in the village of Voloshky, Volyn region, in a dispute over a transfer to the OCU.