People in hats plant "Ukrainian religion" in seized temple in Ladyzhyn

Planters of the "Ukrainian faith" in the seized church of the UOC in Ladyzhyn. Photo: UOJ

On 10 January 2023, when the rector of the Kazan Church in Ladyzhyn, Fr Yevheny Vorobyov, entered his raided temple, he found inside a group of people unknown to him wearing hats and balaclavas. One of them told the priest that he was "provoking" them and should go out. The video of the conversation was published by Kozak1.

Fr Yevheny pointed out to the raiders that they were not members of the religious community and had no reason to be in the temple. When he asked the police officers there why the raiders were still inside, they could not answer.

The men in hats told the priest that they had come to the temple to bring "their Ukrainian religion". When asked by the priest whether the meaning of the Lord's Prayer changes if it is recited in Ukrainian instead of Church Slavonic, the activists answered in the affirmative.

"The Ukrainian land, the Ukrainian religion. These are the roots, on which the nation is formed. Ukrainian faith," the activist stated.

"Is there such a thing as Ukrainian faith?" the priest inquired.

The activist answered in the affirmative: "Well, Ukraine, the Ukrainian language, the Ukrainian faith, the Ukrainian Church."

As reported, during the seizure of the Kazan Church in Ladyzhyn, its rector was brutally beaten. One of the raiders told the UOC parishioners: “I do not believe in your gods."

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