Vladimir-Volynsky diocese asks authorities to prevent the upcoming seizure of UOC temples

The Vladimir-Volynsky diocese of the UOC requested the chairman of the Volyn Regional State Administration Vladimir Gunchik to look into the inter-confessional situation in the villages of Velimche in the Ratno district and Osmigovichi in the Turiisk region, reports the website of the diocese.

Recently, religious communities of the Kiev Patriarchate have been organized and registered in these settlements.

"The clergy and faithful of the Vladimir-Volynsky diocese of the UOC deeply resents the crafty purpose and way these organizations act. According to eyewitnesses, the number of applications required for registration was collected in a fraudulent way, and, in addition, it is surprising that newly founded communities duplicated the names of the religious organizations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church already existing in the villages.

The crafty plan here is obvious: to sow discord among fellow villagers in numerous ways and in the future to claim their title to the church.

We are very concerned about the position of public authorities, which contribute to this situation. It seems that they are interested in inciting inter-faith hatred in our Polesye villages. We cannot believe that none of the civil servants was interested in the fact that there is already a religious community of the UOC with this name in the village?

We believe that the peaceful coexistence of the population on the Volyn land is a common goal of both the state power and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," says the appeal.