In Zahontsi, OCU seizes Protection Temple backed by the deputy and police

The seizure of the Protection Temple in the village of Zahontsi, Khmelnytsky district. Photo: UOJ collage

On March 28, 2024, supporters of the OCU, with the participation of the deputy of the Khmelnytsky District Council Oleksandr Chernievych, cut the locks off both entrance doors of the Protection Temple of the UOC in the village of Zahontsi, Khmelnytsky district, and took over the premises. All this happened in the presence of police officers who did not intervene, according to the press service of the Khmelnytsky Diocese.

Believers published a video from the scene with a description of how the deputy knocked a bag out of a woman's hands and, grabbing her phone, threw it to the ground.

"At the same time, he said, looking me in the eyes, that I was pushed, and the phone fell out of my hands on its own... The police did not react at all, not a word. One of the policemen, watching what was happening, said he saw nothing," the victim described the incident.

The video also captures a man prohibiting filming of the raiders cutting the locks, asking a provocative question: "Who are you filming for, Russia?"

Earlier, similar cases were documented in the UN report, when "groups of people forcibly entered UOC temples, justifying their actions by decisions of local self-government bodies regarding the registration of new religious communities of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) at the same address where existing UOC communities are registered."

The diocese emphasizes that the seizure of the temple by representatives of the OCU is illegal.

"The permanent parishioners of the Holy Protection religious community have not changed their allegiance in organizational and canonical matters, but on the contrary, by their own will, remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the leading center in Kyiv, according to the decision of the general parish meeting of October 14, 2023," the message says.

It is noted that the re-registration of the charter and the change of the head of the Protection parish were carried out in violation of the norms of the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine. As reported by the diocese, the temple still belongs to the UOC based on the certificate of ownership.

"The liturgical and parish life of the religious community of the Holy Protection Parish will continue, and the rector and regular parishioners hope for the restoration of their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and the real action of the rule of law in the future," concludes the diocesan press service.

As the UOJ wrote, there are warnings on the network about the impending seizure of the UOC temple in Boyarka.

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