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.
Read also
Can we judge those who joined the OCU from the military commissariat?
There are many known cases where priests and deacons of the UOC, detained by TRC officers, were offered a simple way to secure their release – to switch to the OCU. Most refused.
On Rivne Metropolitan's excuse for service in Jerusalem
If today we consider it possible to make excuses for concelebrating with the ROC, what will we have to justify tomorrow?
UOC isn’t banned, just ‘de-Russified’? Neither was UGCC under Stalin then
By Shevchuk’s logic, Stalin never banned the UGCC or curtailed freedom of conscience – he merely “freed” the souls of the Uniates from Bandera ideology.
A dip in the Jordan on “one – two – three”
Well-known OCU blogger in “holy orders” Oleksii Filiuk has come up with his own theological formula on the banks of the Jordan. It goes like this: “One – two – three.”
On the situation at Sviatohirsk Lavra
After the killing of Monk Varsonofiy and the attempted murder of two other monastery residents, many patriots claimed that the crime had been committed by enemy saboteurs.
You’re happy, aren’t you? Then why change anything?
The KIIS poll seems to be telling the U.S. authorities: Look, Ukrainians like living this way. They’re not just satisfied with everything – they’re happy. They don’t need peace, so why change anything?