Hilcha: Criminal case launched against OCU members after attempted seizure

4 августа 2022 года правоохранительные органы открыли уголовное производство против сторонников ПЦУ, которые с

On August 4, 2022, law enforcement agencies opened criminal proceedings against the OCU supporters who have made several attempts to seize St Nicholas’ Church in the village of Hilcha of the Zdolbuniv parish in the Rivne Eparchy since June of this year, reports the eparchy’s press service.

The case has been opened on several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine at once: forgery of documents, use of forged documents, incitement of interfaith discord.

"In fact, all signs of a raider seizure of the UOC church are clearly visible here," the press secretary of the Rivne Eparchy, Archpriest Vasyl Nachev, stressed. According to him, there is a religious community of the UOC-KP in Hilcha, but OCU activists did not re-register this community but found personal data of the UOC religious community and made registration on their basis. Fr Vasyl called it a theatre of the absurd and added that the eparchy has questions for those who allowed this theatre to become reality.

We recall that in June, the believers of the St. Nicholas community of the UOC in Hilcha warned of the impending seizure of the church and held a meeting at which they affirmed their faithfulness to the canonical Church, but on July 31, the schismatics, presenting fake documents, demanded to give them the shrine.

As reported, a criminal case was launched against the OCU raiders in the village of Stadnyky.

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