Where did the circus go? It was here just yesterday
Photos from the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr, seized from the UOC, taken one day apart. Photo: Orthodox Church of Ukraine
Two photos of the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr at Orthodox Church of Ukraine “services,” shot from the same spot, just a day apart. Saturday, January 31 – a “liturgy” led by Epifaniy (Dumenko) – and then a “service” the next day, Sunday, without him. The difference is, quite literally, staring you in the face.
After the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine came to Volodymyr, their media channels were instantly flooded with photo after photo from the cathedral – and in every frame the church looks crammed. Each post was seasoned with unmistakable gloating aimed at supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: see, they sneer, so much for your “empty Church of Ukraine.” You claim the churches empty out after these “transfers” to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine? Nonsense. Here’s your “proof.”
And then Epifaniy left.
And with him, as if on cue, the crowd dissolved – the “parishioners” who had been pulled in from across the region, along with the budget-funded contingents assembled by the authorities. The holiday was over; the lights went out; the scenery was hauled off. And the “harsh everyday reality” began.
What did it reveal? A hollow cathedral.
Exactly as in the other cases – the seized cathedrals in Cherkasy, in Bila Tserkva, and elsewhere. In fact, it is enough to look at the photos from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: when Epifaniy serves there – and when he does not. When he does, people are brought in (and later taken away) by bus. When he does not, in the vast Refectory Church or Dormition Church you can count those present on one hand – maybe a dozen people at most.
So the question almost asks itself: why stage this kind of spectacle? Just to manufacture a glossy media picture? Because a church community is not a stage set. It either exists, or it does not.
People are not fools. They can see perfectly well what is happening.
Read also
Why UCCRO should rename itself as “State Service for Religious Affairs”
For several years now, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has been operating under a name that no longer reflects reality.
On the church raid in Odesa
The OCU’s church raids have long been remarkable for their sheer absurdity.
Zelensky's revoked order: What kind of heroes should Ukrainians have?
In recent years, the Ukrainian authorities have sought to present members of the OUN-UPA as heroes for all Ukrainians.
Religious processions banned – gay parades allowed
The authorities “respect rights, freedom, and human dignity” for many: Jews, pop and rock music fans, and now homosexuals. But Orthodox Christians are not among them.
Lavra's Dormition Cathedral and the money
While the construction of the entire cathedral cost approximately $12.5–13 million, more than $11.1 million is now being sought for its restoration. And that is only the “starting” figure.
Strike on the Lavra: what will the consequences be?
No one is saying that a strike on the Lavra, the portion of the Mother of God, is a level of absurdity beyond all limits – that after destroying hundreds of Orthodox churches, the war has now reached the very heart of our Orthodoxy.