Dean of Pereyaslav speaks about situation around UOC church seizure

The dean of the first Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi Deanery, Archimandrite Neil (Semenets), told the UOJ details of the attempted seizure of the Sts. Boris and Gleb Church (UOC) in Pereyaslav.

"In the morning, they (the OCU – Ed.) cut off the locks, went inside the temple and locked themselves in. We got there, but they would not let us into the temple. Then they came out of the temple, took out an antimins and hang their locks. Fr Oleg tore their locks; the police came and recorded it. The rector took the vestments, the chalice, the discus, the books, everything that was bought with his own money, and locked it with his own locks. The temple is closed with our locks," Archimandrite Neil noted.

He said the OCU "rector" threatened to cut off the locks of the temple again tomorrow and hold liturgies, asking the police to ensure order. 

"The OCU summoned about 40 people, titushky (thugs), shouting and provoking. They said they would come tomorrow and cut down the locks," the deacon added.

In June 2022, the UOC community in Pereyaslav held a meeting and reaffirmed their faithfulness to the UOC and His Beatitude Onuphry. In their turn, the OCU supporters held a territorial meeting and illegally "transferred" the UOC community to the OCU.

Archimandrite Nil said that the mayor of Pereyaslav, Viacheslav Saulko, spoke at all the meetings of the territorial community, where he accused UOC believers of collaborationism. 

"He spoke at all the meetings – the old story – you are Moscow and you are enemies. Today, the police let him in where the OCU members were "praying", we were not allowed. He falsely expressed indignation: "How come – they cut the locks off? They told me that it was your priests who cut them off," said Archimandrite Neil.

As earlier reported, the rector in Pereyaslav detailed the attack by the OCU members.

Read also

Lavra brethren file a statement with SBI against Minister of Culture

In the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, it is believed that M. Tochitsky committed a crime according to Article 161 of the Criminal Code, "incitement of religious hatred committed by an official".