OCU cleric calls UOC Chernivtsi faithful “zombies,” hinting at elimination

Roman Hryshchuk (right). Photo: Hryshchuk’s Facebook

Roman Hryshchuk, a Bukovynian cleric of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), known for participating in falsified re-registration efforts and violent church takeovers, referred to the parishioners of the Chernivtsi cathedral – who defended their sanctuary from armed attackers – as “zombies” and indirectly called for their extermination.

In one of his social media posts, Hryshchuk called Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi an “FSB agent” who “thanks the deceived zombies who contributed to defending Russia in Bukovyna.” In another post, he shared a clip from the Hollywood film World War Z, in which the military opens fire on a horde of zombies scaling a wall.

“A brief summary of what happened yesterday in Chernivtsi near the Holy Spirit Cathedral. In my humble opinion, it should have gone just like in the video,” Hryshchuk wrote.

As previously reported, on June 17 a group of militants broke into the grounds of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC in Chernivtsi, brutally beat several priests, and – with the assistance of police – seized the cathedral. Hours later, parishioners forced the attackers out and regained control of the church.

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