On the seizure in Verkhni Stanivtsi

The police assisted in the seizure of the temple in Verkhni Stanivtsi. Photo: UOJ

What happened in Verkhni Stanivtsi is undoubtedly very bitter and tragic. The community, which defended its church until the last moment and even managed to reclaim it after a nighttime raid by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine OCU), ultimately lost it. This time, the bandits in robes seized the church during the day, with the help of the police, who pushed the parishioners back and created a living corridor for the raiders.

Unknown individuals with flags and shouts of "Down with Moscow priests!" took over the shrine right on the day of Lazarus Saturday.

Ahead are the most tragic days for Christians: the suffering and death of Christ. For the parishioners of Verkhni Stanivtsi, today coincided with their own suffering – the church they had attended since childhood, where many spent their entire lives, has been taken from them. It was taken in the most despicable, cynical, and unjust manner.

But Christ clearly told us: "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." And there is no doubt that God hears the prayers of the believers of Verkhni Stanyvtsi, who find themselves on the street today. He hears the prayers of all Christians expelled from their churches. Because "blessed are those who mourn," "blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," because "blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

However, there are great doubts about whether Christ hears the "prayers" of those who seize churches. At least because, as Scripture says, "neither thieves, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven."

But this is about the spiritual. There is also the "human" aspect.

All those who are being mocked today by the unified pack of hryshchuks, officials, and policemen will not forget this quickly. Not only the parishioners will not forget, but also their children, relatives, and friends, including those from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They can clearly see that we no longer have a "united country". What they see is "ours" and "others" where "ours" are allowed everything, while the "others" have no rights at all.

But society cannot live for long with "lords" and "serfs". As the parishioner from Verkhni Stanivtsi rightly said, such power has no future.

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