Don't give a reason to those seeking one

The Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC in Chernivtsi. Photo: the eparchy’s press service

The situation in Chernivtsi today is tense, as believers are gathering at night to pray in their main churches, expecting an attack from militants. The actions of the OCU here are even more brazen than in other regions. To vote on a single gathering for several major UOC cathedrals at once is a new level of cynicism and lawlessness. Nevertheless, this cynicism is not surprising. In recent weeks, the OCU has become much more active across Bukovyna – “touring guests” of the OCU have already held numerous such gatherings in the villages, which can be seen as a prelude to future seizures. And this is happening against the backdrop of a general decline in OCU activity throughout Ukraine. Why such attention to this region? Bukovyna is one of the most "peaceful" regions for the UOC, with many churches and, most importantly, with many active parishioners who participate in both services and the defence of their parishes.

There is a possibility that the answer to the OCU's attack in this region can be found in the activity of the believers in Bukovyna.

Across Ukraine, despite the lawlessness and obvious violence of OCU-led takeovers, we practically do not see "responses" from the UOC. Almost always, believers yield and move to pray in their homes, simultaneously building a new church. We do not see a “strike-for-strike”, retaliatory violence. And this is a very inconvenient fact for both the OCU and the authorities. They would very much like to see a different picture, to present the UOC as an “aggressor Church”, to link it with the ROC, the Russian aggression in Ukraine, etc. But there is nothing to “get a grip” on.

Therefore, there is a danger that the upcoming storm of UOC churches in Chernivtsi is a chess move, a provocation to incite believers to retaliate with violence. And since any conflicts are usually framed unfavorably for the UOC, we can assume that the smallest push, or anything more significant, will be used to create a major scandal, portraying the UOC as the "aggressive Church". To put it bluntly, a campaign titled "Moscow priests beating Ukrainians". Its result will be used to justify the final "clean-up" of the UOC within the country and to argue for this "clean-up" abroad.

Therefore, we urge the people of Bukovyna to protect their churches, but only through prayer. And remember, we are Christians. We are against violence.

And we do not give a reason to those seeking one.

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