UOC priests detained by Khust TRC have been released

Meeting of the priests with their relatives, parishioners, and local residents. Photo: Screenshot from Artem Dmytruk's Telegram channel
Today, on September 22, after the Divine Liturgy, representatives of the Territorial Recruitment Center in Zakarpattia detained two UOC priests. In the evening, after protests by believers, Archpriest Vasyl Huk from the Khust Diocese and Father Stepan from the Odesa Diocese were released. This was reported by MP Artem Dmytruk on his Telegram channel.
"Father Vasyl and Father Stepan are free! Thank you to all the believers, residents of Khust, and the village of Iza who took part in freeing the priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," his message said at 22:30.
According to Dmytruk, the priests had their phones and documents, which had been confiscated during their detention, returned to them.
"Father Stepan, a cleric of the Odesa Eparchy, was given 3 days by the TRC to leave Zakarpattia and was also required to report to the TCC in Odesa in 3 days. Father Vasyl was ordered to check in at the Khust TRC in exactly one month," the MP added.
As the UOJ previously reported, the Khust Eparchy had asked for prayers for Father Vasyl, who was taken by the TRC.
Read also
MP urges to ease pressure on UOC for sake of peace
Oleksii Honcharenko proposed compromises on language, historical memory, and Church issues as part of efforts to achieve peace, saying those who wish to attend the “Russian Church” should be allowed to do so.
Court takes 17th-century church in Staryi Pochaiv from UOC community
A commercial court overturned a 2018 registrar’s decision and stripped the UOC’s Ternopil Eparchy of ownership of the 17th-century church.
Vinnytsia Eparchy honors Bar Icon of the Mother of God
Metropolitan Varsonofiy celebrated the Liturgy at the Bar Convent on the feast day of the wonderworking icon of the Mother of God.
Rada speaker discusses legalization of same-sex marriage in Rivne region
Ruslan Stefanchuk suggested that sponsors of separate bills to legalize same-sex marriage personally make their case to Ukrainians.
SBU told Phanar many UOC bishops would join OCU in 2018, report says
According to a Phanar representative’s account, Ukrainian security services told the Constantinople delegation that many UOC representatives were prepared to attend the OCU’s “Unification Council.” In the end, only two did.
Catholic cardinal visits Ukrainian POWs during trip to Russia
During three days of consultations in Moscow, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi discussed prospects for ending the war in Ukraine.