Ukraine's General Procuracy reports suspicion against four ROC bishops

Publication on the website of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office website

Publication on the website of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office website

The Office of the Prosecutor General announced suspicions against four hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), according to the Prosecutor General’s Office website.

"Russian metropolitans have been informed of suspicions of complicity in encroachments on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Part 5, Article 27; Part 3, Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the statement reads.

The Prosecutor General's Office alleges that the hierarchs, during 2022–2023, "facilitated the seizure of property of Ukrainian churches in the temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, as well as in Crimea."

"Implementing the Russian Synod’s decision to 'integrate' Ukrainian religious communities into the ROC, they seized church buildings and land of the dioceses of Dzhankoy, Berdiansk, Rovenky, and Kherson. The suspects appointed bishops loyal to them in these regions. They imposed Kremlin narratives on believers, blessed Russia's war against Ukraine, and justified the crimes of the occupiers," the statement claims.

The SBU identified the suspects as Metropolitan Dionysius of Omsk and Tauride, Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St. Petersburg, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, and Metropolitan Paul of Krutitsy and Kolomna.

As previously reported by the UOJ, UOC hierarchs condemned the actions of the ROC in Russian-occupied territories.

Read also

A quarter of a million Muslims celebrate Kurban Bayram on Moscow streets

In Saint Petersburg, more than 100,000 Muslims gathered for prayer.

Without UOC: DESS lists communities whose clergy to be exempted from service

The list of critically important religious organizations includes 7,726 legal entities. UOC communities are excluded.

Kyiv gays to hold LGBT event near the cathedral of OCU

Homosexuals reported that they would hold their event in the warm circle of like-minded individuals and allies.

Church commemorates Trinity Parental Saturday

On the eve of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, believers pray for their deceased ancestors on one of the most important memorial days in the church calendar.

In Jerusalem, Primate of ROCOR elevates new abbess of Ascension Convent

Mother Judith (Zastavskaya) has officially been appointed as Abbess of the Holy Ascension Convent of ROCOR on the Mount of Olives.

Ex-Reserve director: That Lavra is a monastery is RF imperial narrative

Ostapenko assured that he fought with all his might against the presence of the UOC in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and his dismissal is unfair.