UOC priest to militants: My brother went missing at war – why aren’t you there?
Militants in balaclavas block the community's access to their church. Photo: UOJ
During the seizure of the Dormition Church in Dubivtsi, as activists and clergy from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) used crowbars to break the locks on the church doors, a group of young men in balaclavas stood at the gates, blocking priests and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) from entering their place of worship.
When believers asked why the men were seizing churches instead of defending their homeland, the militants responded only with slogans: "Glory to the nation – death to the enemies!" and "Ukraine above all!"
"My brother went missing at the front two years ago. He was 27. And here you are, calling yourselves patriots," a priest said to the militants. But they responded only with shouts about "Moscow priests."
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Dubivtsi, Bukovyna, people in balaclavas seized the UOC church.
Read also
Orthodox shrines seized using "Ukrainian-style scenario,” Moldovan politician
Moldovan Socialists accused the authorities of using the police to pressure Orthodox communities.
Rada backs away from lowering marriage age to 14
Speaker Stefanchuk announced that the clause lowering the marriage age has been removed from the draft Family Code after criticism on social media.
UGCC cleric: By going underground, the UOC is trying to imitate us Uniates
Yustyn Boyko said that UOC supporters are trying to copy the experience of the Uniates who lived underground under the USSR – but they will not succeed, because they are incapable of sacrifice.
Cleric of Constantinople: Patriarch Kirill planned to become UOC primate
According to Govorun, if he had not been elected patriarch, the current head of the ROC planned to learn Ukrainian and lead the autocephalist movement in Ukraine.
UK House of Lords blocks euthanasia bill
The upper chamber of the British Parliament has halted the advance of an initiative on euthanasia.
Jerusalem opens a Second Temple–era pilgrimage road
After 13 years of excavations in Jerusalem, a 1st-century pilgrimage route from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount has been opened to visitors.