OCU activists attempt to seize UOC church in Mohyliv-Podilsky Eparchy

The raiders of the OCU beat the parishioners of the UOC and tore the cross from the rector. Photo: a video screenshot from the Facebook page of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin.

On July 18, 2021, in the village of Verbovets, Murovani Kurylivtsi district, Vinnytsia region, there was an attempt to raid the Holy Protection Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by OCU activists, the community of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is located in the same deanery, reports on its Facebook page.

During the raider attack, the UOC believers, who were defending their church, were beaten, and the cross was torn from the rector, Archpriest Alexander Luchin, who has been serving in the village for more than 20 years. “In the village of Verbovets, an attempt was made to seize the building of the church by representatives of the OCU and people who had never had anything to do with the local community of the UOC and had never attended the temple before,” the community reports. A video recording of the attack is available on the Facebook page of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Believers report that the raiders had sharpened bars with them and threatened that they would “slaughter like pigs” church parishioners.

It is noted that through the meeting of the villagers, and not the religious community, documents were submitted for re-registration of the UOC community in the OCU, which were accepted and approved by an official of the Volyn Regional State Administration. “The believers of the canonical Church did not want and do not want to change their jurisdiction, but the odious civil servant I.A Saletsky took into account the protocol of the meeting of village citizens for the meeting of the religious community and, instead of registering a new OCU community, on July 12, 2021, committed illegal actions - re-registration of the UOC community, which provoked a new wave of aggression from the OCU representatives,” reports the UOC community.

As a result of the raider attack, the Holy Protection Church of the UOC in the village of Verbovets was sealed, the community will appeal against the illegal decisions of state officials on re-registration in court.

As reported, another UOC community was re-registered to the OCU in the Volyn village of Borochiche. 

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