UOC eparchy comments on church raid in Bila Tserkva

Divine Liturgy on March 19 led by Metropolitan Augustine in the Church of St. Panteleimon. Photo: Bila Tserkva Eparchy

On March 21, 2025, in Bila Tserkva, the OCU seized the Panteleimon Church of the UOC. The Bila Tserkva Eparchy of the UOC has released a statement reagrding the incident.

The administration of the Bila Tserkva diocese reported that representatives of the OCU entered the territory of the Panteleimon Church in the morning, immediately after the end of the curfew, by damaging the lock mechanism on the side doors.

“The seizure of the church occurred in the presence of law enforcement officers with the support of city authorities, who facilitated the organization and execution of the illegal re-registration of the church’s statutory documents,” the statement said.

A video from the scene was published on the Dozor Telegram channel, noting that “the parishioners of the church managed to save icons and liturgical vessels from the barbarians.”

As reported by the UOJ, Espresso reported on the seizure of the church on March 21.

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