Poland, Ukraine clash over Remembrance Day for OUN-UPA genocide victims

Polish Sejm. Photo: Facebook page of Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej

The Polish Sejm has declared the establishment of a National Day of Remembrance for Poles who were victims of the genocide committed by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The date of observance will be July 11.

According to the Sejm's statement, between 1939 and 1946, Ukrainian nationalists from the OUN and UPA, operating "in the territories of the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic," "committed acts of genocide against the Polish population."

The document asserts that more than 100,000 Poles were killed. The atrocities are said to have occurred in areas that today constitute Ukraine’s Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv regions, as well as in Polissia.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp response to the Sejm’s decision, referring to the genocide as “so-called” and calling the resolution itself one that “runs counter to the spirit of good neighborly relations between Ukraine and Poland.”

The ministry also reminded Poland that Ukraine and Poland “share a common enemy – Russia.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Epifaniy Dumenko had said members of the OCU take pride in being called Banderites.

Read also

Dumenko: Ukrainian Lavra monks have taken control of Near Caves

According to Dumenko, the Lavra is moving toward the “full restoration of this sacred place precisely as a spiritual cell of the OCU.”

Release of Metropolitan Arseniy – result of U.S. pressure, Greek media say

The Greek Orthodox outlet reports that the decisive factor in the hierarch’s case was the stance taken by American Orthodox public and political figures.

Moldova lacks capacity to maintain 800 temples it intends to seize from Church

According to the Minister of Culture, authorities plan to seize 800 churches from the Moldovan Church, but they lack the capability to manage them.

Court returns seized church to UOC community in Ivankiv

The appellate court declared invalid the re-registration of the UOC community of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the town of Ivankiv.

2,800-year-old seal with biblical symbols found in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have found a stone seal from the era of Judean kings with an inscription in ancient Hebrew.

Pope warns clergy against writing AI-based sermons

The head of the Roman Catholic Church warned priests about the risks of using digital technologies in ministry.