Schismatics of Kinakhovtsy village fail to grab the temple but promise to return

On March 5th representatives of the “Right Sector” and the initiative group of Kinakhovtsy village, Zbarazh district, Ternopol region, undertook another attempt to take over the UOC temple. According to the UOJ correspondent, Sunday service in the church was attended by over 90 parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which precluded the schismatics’ intentions.

On the eve, March 4, radicals initiated a “referendum” on the temple transfer to the jurisdiction of the Kiev Patriarchate. According to the UOJ source, 59 persons took part in the initiative, many of whom are not based in the village.
“The security company from Kiev we had invited beforehand and the parishioners who have kept round-the-clock vigil in the temple, precluded the schismatics from the shrine takeover,” recounts senior priest Vitaly Guriev. “ But the KP adherents report they intend to pursue their seizure attempts and now they will choose to do in a lawful way and reregister the community’s charter.”

St. Peter and Paul church is the only UOC temple capturing several villages in the district. At the same time there are already some temples of the Kiev Patriarchate within a walking distance.

The faithful of the only canonical Church in Ukraine are determined to defend their rights further on.