Why hate inciters against UOC should be in prison
Churches were not built for the victories of one state over another, for asserting the "Ukrainian spirit," or the "spirit" of any other nation.
On January 31, a well-staged solemn event took place at the Dormition Cathedral of Volodymyr, seized from UOC believers, to which about 300 people were brought from all OCU churches in the city and other settlements. The "first liturgy in Ukrainian" was led by Serhiy Dumenko. He was accompanied by the top local authorities, as well as MP Ihor Huz, whose words particularly impressed us. Standing on the cathedral's ambo next to Dumenko, Huz delivered a speech that can be considered a model of inciting religious hatred.
Main points:
• when UOC believers prayed at the Dormition Cathedral, it was "under Moscow's rule";
• UOC believers are "katsaps";
• the expulsion of the UOC and transfer of the cathedral to the OCU is a crucial step toward Ukraine's military victory over Russia;
• the fresco in the cathedral depicting the royal passion-bearers will be destroyed, after which "Ukrainian spirit" will reign in the temple;
• the Volodymyr Chapel, located next to the cathedral, will be taken from UOC believers and transferred to the OCU;
• Huz urged the abbess of the Zymne Convent to voluntarily join the OCU, otherwise hinting at a forcible takeover.
One of Huz's main theses is that the Dormition Cathedral suffered for centuries under the oppression of Russian tsars, and now Ukrainian authorities have liberated it. Well, everyone has the right to their own point of view. But let us present well-known historical facts.
By the end of the 19th century, the ancient Assumption Cathedral, following the Uniate period, was almost completely destroyed and consisted of ruins with a collapsed dome and fallen walls. And who revived it? You will be surprised, but it was Russian Tsar Nicholas II, depicted on the temple's fresco. He allocated about 60,000 rubles for the restoration of the cathedral and later additionally announced a fundraising campaign across all churches of the Russian Empire. As a result, 127,550 rubles were collected, and by 1900 the Dormition Cathedral had been rebuilt by Russian architects in its present magnificent form.
The same "betrayal" applies to the Volodymyr Chapel, which Huz demands be given to the OCU. It was built to commemorate two events related to the royal family: the rescue of Tsar Alexander III and his family after a train crash, and the rescue of Nicholas II following an assassination attempt in Japan. In other words, if it weren’t for the “oppression from Moscow,” there would be neither the chapel nor, most likely, the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr. There would be nowhere for Serhiy Dumenko to “restore the Ukrainian prayer.”
But the main point is not even that. These churches were not built to celebrate the victory of one state over another, to assert the “Ukrainian spirit,” or the “spirit” of any other nation. They were built for prayer and to nurture Christ’s love among the people. What Huz is doing, however, is the exact opposite. He is inciting hatred of some Ukrainians toward others. He is organizing persecution of believers simply because they belong to the “wrong” denomination.
Therefore, let us call things by their proper names: what Huz says and does is a crime, according to the law. His place is in the defendant’s dock. And his time will come.
