When the persecution of the Church reaches the level of commissars

Police expelled UOC believers in Cherkasy from their St. Andrew’s Church. Photo: UOJ

Usually, the OCU tries to at least create the illusion of legitimacy, gathering some people to pose as "members of a religious community." Even if those "members" are outright thugs who break jaws and shatter the arms and legs of UOC parishioners – as was the case during the seizures of St. Michael's Cathedral and the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery in Cherkasy.

But today in Cherkasy, the scene was pure surrealism. The police simply drove the parishioners of St. Andrew's Church off the grounds of their own sanctuary and locked the gates. There was not the slightest sign of any alternative "religious community" of the OCU – none at all.

The UOC parishioners were expelled just to expel them, to make sure they simply were not present in the church. And this is despite the fact that St. Andrew's Church is the property of the Cherkasy Eparchy. Legally, there can be no "transition" to the OCU – absolutely none.

One day, historians will look at these images, scratch their heads, and ask, "How was this even possible? How, in an Orthodox democratic country, could believers be thrown out of their church just like that – so brazenly and lawlessly?" And the less attentive history students might even confuse these images with footage from the Bolshevik persecutions.

Although, perhaps not. The "Soviet" footage was in black and white, while the "Ukrainian" is in color. And that’s the only difference.

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