Seizures of UOC-MP churches are a continuation of the war unleashed in the early 1990s
The other day, one of the Ukrainian officials who jumped into government positions on the wave of Maidan radicalism, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Marcinkiv, on your page in Facebook called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate “the church of the occupier,” noting that he does not care about the point of view of the Ukrainian Ombudsman on this issue.
Martsinkiv published scans of pages from a brochure published by the canonical Church, which explains the position of the UOC on the war in the South-East.
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“This is what they give out to believers of the UOC-MP! – Martsinkiv exclaims indignantly. – In a country where there is an eternal war with Moscow! The war is not in the East, the war is inside! And let the Commissioner for Human Rights accuse me, but I believe that this is the church of the occupier! If Svoboda were in the Verkhovna Rada, this church would be banned.”
Nor is the position of the Pope and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew , similar to the ombudsman. In particular, the latter made an appeal to Ukrainian journalists, in which he indicated that the Church of Constantinople prays for peace in Ukraine and hopes for an end to the fratricidal war.
But the concurring opinions of the Churches do not bother neo-Nazis at all. For them, the main thing is war, enslavement and genocide of those who have an opposite view of history and modernity. Therefore, Bandera’s followers, probably no longer hoping to win the criminal aggression against Donbass, are inciting a religious war in the territory under their control with the Holy Orthodox Church, accusing it of supporting “separatism.”
The first stage of this war and violence against the UOC and, therefore, against Christ and His faithful, was the beginning of the 1990s, when the USSR collapsed.
Then, having received the “blessing” of Kyiv and its overseas curators, the haters began to fight against canonical Orthodoxy. This was especially active in the west of Ukraine.
Groups of thugs raised on the glorification of Bandera and Nazism - in particular, UNA-UNSO - began to seize churches, beat priests and parishioners. At the same time, massive slander began against the UOC-MP in the media.
It was the “Unsovites” who seized the great Kyiv shrine - the Vladimir Cathedral - and gave it to the “Kyiv Patriarchate”, now headed by Denisenko.
Through the efforts of their patrons in power, the schismatics - the "Kapeshniks", Autocephalians and Uniates - also received ownership of several churches in Podol, including the famous St. Andrew's Church. Here you can note in passing that these temples are still mostly empty. Even on the greatest holidays, very few people gather there. This is especially noticeable in comparison with the hundreds of parishioners in nearby UOC churches and thousands in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
A new round of war against canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine began after Maidan 2004, the victory of Viktor Yushchenko and the pro-Western “orange” coalition.
A PR campaign flared up to create the so-called “United Ukrainian Local Church”, which immediately received the popular name “Epots”. The main character and inspirer of “Epots” was the same Denisenko – “Filaret”. According to the plan, Yushchenko and his camarilla should have obtained the legitimation of “Epots” from one of the foreign autocephalous Churches, then put together an association of schismatic and sectarian firms on its basis, and declared the UOC-MP a foreign agent with a complete ban on its activities.
Yushchenko hoped to attract the same Patriarch of Constantinople to his side. During the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', in July 2008, the beekeeper president organized a pompous meeting of Bartholomew, insulting all parishioners of the UOC MP by ignoring the main event: the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' to these celebrations. However, the Primate of Constantinople did not support the schism, since he did not dare to violate the decrees of the Ecumenical Councils and the Apostolic Rules, which directly prohibited such acts.
However, the “orange” government continued to do everything in its power to discredit the UOC-MP and destroy the Orthodox mentality in Ukrainian society. Fascist radicals created paramilitary scout camps and detachments, which were no longer brought up on Christian doctrine, but on totalitarian sectarianism. It was from these camps that the Nazi legions “Azov”, “C14” and others emerged, preaching openly pagan and satanic cults.
After the coup d’etat and the victory of the Maidan in February 2014, all the haters and enemies of the Holy Church received from the new government, hypocritically wrapped in the toga of “European democracy,” carte blanche for any outrages and atrocities.
Attacks on priests and laity, their murders and beatings, seizures of churches, mockery of shrines - all these crimes have reached unprecedented proportions.
Over the past three and a half years, Ukrainian atheists have captured more than 40 churches. Several times groups of riotous “patriots” were going to seize the Kiev-Pechersk and Pochaev Holy Dormition Lavras. The believers managed to defend them with God's help. But the blasphemous raiders did not stop there.
Here are just a few facts from dozens of their crimes.
Here An example of only one (!) month is given - October 2014.
In early October, nationalists attempted to seize the Kyiv region with the aim of transferring it to the “Kiev Patriarchate” Church in honor of Saints Boris and Gleb in the city of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky, which falls under the jurisdiction of the UOC.
Activists of the “All-Ukrainian Social and Church Association “For the United Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church” appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomewyu with a request to “protect the Ukrainian people from the “Russian world”, which is “implanted in the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate.”
The authors of the appeal also pointed out that “now, more than ever, the Ukrainian people demand prayer to God for victory over the enemy,” and also that the priests of the UOC act “as provocateurs and help the militia.”
The appeal was signed by ex-president Viktor Yushchenko, writer Oksana Zabuzhko, honorary president of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy Vyacheslav Bryukhovetsky and others.
In the village of Butin, Zbarazh district, Ternopil region, a temple in the name of Archangel Michael was captured. Village residents collected about 70 signatures against the ongoing outrage.
The leader of the Ternopil organization “Right Sector” Vasily Labaichuk published an appeal from the organization on social networks, in which he called on parishioners of UOC churches to “check the priests”, and if unreliable ones are identified, create initiative groups to transfer churches “to the Ukrainian Church”: “If you need any help in transferring the parish to the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Church, contact us, Ukrainian nationalists!” - Labaichuk called, in order, in his words, “to clear our land at once from representatives of the UOC-MP,” whom he considers “servants not of God, but of the Kremlin.”
On October 12, at his press conference, the so-called. “Patriarch” Filaret stated that “the priests of the Moscow Patriarchate support terrorists and Russia”. “The war confirms that Ukraine needs an Orthodox Church independent from Moscow,” Filaret said.
One of the Zaporozhye public figures, a representative of nationalist neo-pagan circles Andrey Avdeenko, made threats against the Archbishop of Zaporozhye and Luke of Melitopol, promising to “cut his hair and drive Archbishop Luke out of the church in disgrace.”
On October 16, in the village of Nosovka, Shchorsk district, Chernigov region, an arson was committed at the Holy Protection Church of the UOC. The fire did not penetrate inside the temple; only part of the roof and wooden wall were damaged. A flammable liquid spill was found at the scene. Despite the arson attempt, services in the temple continue.
The Holy Trinity Church in the village of Povcha, Dubna district, Rivne region, was captured. Supporters of the “Kyiv Patriarchate” broke into the castle and seized the temple.
On the night of October 23-24, an explosive device went off near the entrance to the children's Sunday school on the territory of the church in the name of St. Luke of Crimea (Sumy), as reported by the rector of the church, Archpriest Maxim Denisenko.
In an interview with the official website of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Administrator of the Affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, then stated cases of overt aggression on the part of the “Kyiv Patriarchate” against the UOC, its believers and priests.
In particular, the bishop stated: “Starting from February of this year, blackmail has been constantly used against the UOC. More than once, from the mouth of the head of the UOC-KP there were specific calls, literally, to “put pressure” on our Church... There was a call to organize “referendums” in villages regarding what jurisdiction a rural church should belong to. Many people spoke out against leaving canonical Orthodoxy and going into schism. Today, the right of physical force is used to suppress their constitutional right. Documents are forged, locks are broken, people are beaten, pushed out of churches.”
On September 14, 2016, representatives of the UOC-KP and the Right Sector forcibly seized the temple in honor of the holy righteous Anna village of Kuty, Ternopil diocese of the UOC.
“They arrived on motorcycles, cars, with hammers, crowbars, grinders, they tore and gutted the locks, and left yesterday evening. Now there is no one near the temple or inside. When I filed a statement with the police, they asked me with ridicule: “At what time will you perform the service on Sunday, so that we know the time when we will be there?” Now believers gather for services in a specially designed room - a tent erected by village residents on private territory,” рассказал rector of the temple, Archpriest Igor Kushniruk.
On September 21, 2016, Right Sector radicals broke the doors of the Church of St. Great Martyr George the Victorious in the village of Katerynivka, Kremenets district, Ternopil region and poisoned the servant with gas. The attack resulted in a fight, bodily injuries and the opening of criminal proceedings.
There were repeated attacks on the temple in the village of Ptichya, Dubensky district, Rivne region.
On August 12, 2017, in the village of Devichki, Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky district, Kyiv region, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was taken away from the UOC community, located on the territory of military unit No. A3085.
These examples are only a small part of the facts confirming that the post-Maidan authorities unleashed an open religious war. There are many more of them, because the raiders, emboldened by the connivance of the authorities, feel increasingly unpunished.
Often, to achieve their goals, schismatics use outright slander and forgery. As it was, for example, in Zhytomyr region.
In the summer of 2015, there was news in the media (initially on the website Zhitomir.today) that allegedly in the Zhytomyr village of Popelnya the religious community “abandoned the Moscow Patriarchate.” However, as representatives of the Zhytomyr Diocese of the UOC reported then, the information about this event was far from completely consistent with reality.
In the village of Popelnya, indeed, several years ago, a group of people broke away from the Nikolaev community of the UOC and formed their own, belonging to the UOC-KP. After this, the schismatics decided to annul the charter of the UOC community, suing the temple and other property in their favor.
“And recently, with the help of a local deputy from the Svoboda party, Sidor Kizin, who at the time of the outbreak of the conflict was the chairman of the Zhytomyr regional state administration, supporters of the UOC-KP managed through the court to make changes to the charter of the UOC community, which Mr. Kizin approved in the past year,” reported the portal “About the Church”.
As the diocese reported, the majority of the community in the village of Popelnya remained faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Therefore, not being able to seize the temple by force, the “kapeshniks” began to use administrative resources.
“They go to the courts, the offices of deputies, but they don’t even set foot on the threshold of the temple. The village community, with the exception of these people, fully supports the UOC. They (KP supporters) were offered to build their own church and not disturb the people, but they do not accept such paths, considering themselves completely right,” noted the response of the Zhytomyr Diocese of the UOC.
The portal “About the Church” emphasized then that supporters of the UOC-KP often use “influential acquaintances” to achieve their raider goals. There are precedents for the intervention of government officials in inter-church relations in almost every case of the seizure of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
We dwelled on this case in detail, because this is precisely the method that has been adopted by anti-church bureaucrats in the last two years.
Legitimizing church raiding in order to, with the help of several provocateurs, take away a church from its rightful owners - the UOC community - is the essence of the anti-church laws that have been pushed for the second year by national schismatics in the Verkhovna Rada (№ 4128 и № 4511).
According to one of these bills, the state receives the right to interfere in the appointment of metropolitans and bishops (or even ban the church altogether if it is discovered that it is “cooperating” with religious centers in the “aggressor country”). The second allows the transfer of parishes to another religious denomination through a community vote. In this connection, the UOC correctly considered that in this way church raiding would be legalized - after all, the territorial community is identified with the religious one.
Returning to the beginning of the article, we note that the Orthodox believers of Ivano-Frankivsk sent the Nazi mayor a letter with the following content:
“On November 20, 2016, at a meeting with the city public, you publicly called on city residents to help you return the building of the former kindergarten, which for more than 25 years has been adapted for the Transfiguration Church on the street. Chernovola, 6... You understand that you will not remove the crosses, the dome, or remove the throne with your own hands, but you want to do this with the hands of the city community and transfer responsibility for the desecration of the holy place, sacrilege and desecration of shrines to them.
You allowed yourself to call the Ukrainians, the Orthodox believers of the city, who were born and live in Ivano-Frankivsk, the indigenous Carpathians, with the humiliating word “occupiers”... Your fellow party members and city council employees greeted your words with applause, not giving us the opportunity to speak out in the hall, to defend our views and prove that we are a community of the city, as well as part of Ecumenical Orthodoxy.”
The Orthodox Ukrainian community is resisting the junta’s onslaught on the Holy Church. Petitions against anti-church laws are signed, rallies and meetings are held. Believers come to their temples and cover them with their chests. Of course, for the distraught Nazis this is not an argument for coming to their senses.
But there is an argument that sooner or later will put a limit to the blasphemy and blasphemy implanted in Ukraine by the cynical government. And it sounds like this: “God cannot be mocked.”1
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