OCU activists cut locks on church doors in Khmelnytsky Eparchy

The Holy Dormition Church in vlg. Gvardiiske. Photo: Oleksandr Popov / Google

On December 15, in the village of Gvardiiske of the Khmelnytsky district, Khmelnytsky region, the Holy Dormition Church is being seized.

Archpriest Mikhail Varakhoba, a cleric of the Khmelnytsky Eparchy, reported this in a commentary to the Union of Orthodox Journalists.

“I don't have full information from the scene yet, but thanks to the court order, the bailiff and the police that came, the PCU activists opened our church, cut off the locks and entered the temple. They “generously” allowed our congregation to take some church utensils," said Father Mikhail.

The Holy Dormition community was "transferred" to the OCU by the decision of the Khmelnytsky Regional State Administration on April 12, 2019. Since then, there has been litigation in the Khmelnytsky and Kyiv Courts, seeking the cancellation of this unlawful decision; in turn, representatives of the OCU demand access to the temple.

As reported, on December 15, the Kyiv Court officially forbade the officials of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration to illegally re-register the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the OCU.

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