OCU supporters seize UOC temple in village of Tovtry in presence of police

The Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, Tovtry

On Saturday, May 18, at 11:00, law enforcers helped OCU supporters to seize the Holy Assumption Church in the village of Tovtry of the Zastavna district, Chernovtsy region, reports the press service of the Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy of the UOC.

“Having pushed the religious community away from the church, the law enforcers let in the OCU adherents through a human chain. The teaching of this religious organization calls for cutting down locks and seizing temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The initiators of the seizure cut down the locks in front of the religious community and law enforcement officers and entered the temple,” the eparchy release says.

At present, the confrontation at the church continues, the congregation of the seized church is constantly ringing bells.

We recall that this is not the first attempt to seize the Holy Assumption Church in Tovtry. The activists in their actions are guided by the illegal order of the governor of the Chernovtsy RSA Mikhail Pavliuk on the re-registration of the UOC religious community to the OCU.

Currently, two criminal proceedings are underway: on obstructing the performance of religious rites to the community of the Holy Assumption Church of the UOC of the village of Tovtry and on the official falsification by officials of the Chernovtsy RSA, namely, the issuance of knowingly false orders.

The UOJ editorial board reminds: in case of violation of the rights of the episcopate, clergy, laity and institutions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (obstruction of worship, seizure of churches, commission of provocations and pressure, threats, etc.), immediately contact the Legal Department of the UOC by phone: 097- 537-55-96.

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