UOC priest charged for his sermon in Zhytomyr region

The accused priest from the Zhytomyr Eparchy. Photo: Prosecutor's Office

A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been charged with denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, according to the press service of the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the investigation, the priest allegedly spread pro-Russian narratives during a service in the church of a neighboring community in the Berdychiv district. In April 2022, during his pre-Easter sermons, he allegedly convinced parishioners that the president of the Russian Federation had not initiated a full-scale armed invasion of Ukraine. The prosecutor's office also claims that the priest claimed that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow had not blessed the war, instead calling the events a punishment for human sins.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Zhytomyr region.

As the UOJ reported, the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra is suspected of covertly leaking the locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces positions.

Read also

DESS responds to statements by UOC lawyers

Yelensky’s agency claimed that the UOC’s lawyers are “discrediting” Ukraine’s leadership and spreading “disinformation.”

Lawyers collect statements from faithful to defend Kyiv Metropolia in court

UOC lawyers have prepared a procedure enabling clergy and laypeople to take part in the court proceedings over the DESS lawsuit.

UOC faithful make pilgrimage to Georgia’s holy sites

The pilgrims visited churches and monasteries in Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kutaisi, and at the foot of Mount Kazbek.

Bulgarian Church Synod condemns suspended cleric's slander against Patriarch

The Holy Synod spoke out against the politicization of religion and the cleric's attempts to portray himself as a "victim."

UOC faithful hold religious procession to monastery in Zakarpattia

Pilgrims from Irshava visited the Dubrivka Monastery and churches in the villages of Bilky and Pryborzhavske.

Turkey begins installing protective covering over Hagia Sophia's dome

A temporary covering will be installed to preserve the structures, mosaics, and ensure workers' safety during the cathedral restoration.