Sokil authorities cut off locks on UOC church and hand it over to OCU

In the village of Sokil, Rozhyshche community, officials of the Volyn regional state administration cut off the locks on the Holy Trinity Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, declaring it to be state property, and handed the church to the OCU, reports volynnews.

According to the message, the local authorities planned to "transfer" the community to the OCU in spring but were faced with the protest of the parishioners. The Volyn regional state administration intervened, its representatives claimed that the UOC church is the property of the state and handed it over to the OCU.

Dumenko's supporters, having received the church for use, decided to inspect "sacred things registered in the state register" and began searching for the keys to the church.

"The woman to whom the priest handed over the keys noted that she wanted to give them to the village headman, but he refused to take them. "No one wanted to keep these keys. Also, the matushka asked to take them away. I left these keys outside the church. But where I left them, I couldn't find them. Now, I do not know where the keys are," writes volynnews. 

Then the OCU supporters decided to saw down the lock and break down the inner door. The temple was broken open under the supervision of police officers. 

After the inventory was taken, a "cleric" of the OCU held a service in the seized church.

The UOC parishioners, together with their pastor, are praying in the church house.

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