RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


 

Catholics and Orthodox compete for Ukrainian village church

10 UGKTs PRIESTS "UNDER PROTECTION OF MILITANTS TRY TO SEIZE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN TERNOPOL"

Religiia v Ukraine, 26 March 2015

 

The official website of the UPTs (Moscow patriarchate) reported that on Sunday 22 March at 15:00, about ten priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGKTs) staged a provocation near the church yard of the parish they lead, Religiia v Ukraine reports, with reference to the UPTs website.

 

"The Uniates' action also was supported by a deputy of the Buchach District Council, Andrei Buchinsky (Freedom Party), accompanied by more than 50 young people in balaclavas and camouflage uniforms, who identified themselves as representatives of Right Sector. The violently minded militants tried to enter the church, supposedly for prayer. Believers of the Orthodox parish of the village refused to let them enter, explaining that every person may enter the church when a worship service is being conducted, but one must enter the house of God without a weapon and with uncovered face," the UPTs website notes, citing the rector of the church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God of the village of Stenka in Buchach district of Ternopol province, Priest Vasily Moisiuk.

 

According to the report of the chief of the Ternopol provincial directorate of police, Alexander Bogomol, 80 law enforcement personnel were activated in order to prevent violent conflict on a religious basis in the village of Stenka. During a press conference, he said that activists of Right Sector had arrived in order to support representatives of UGKTs. He said that the conflict itself consists of the fact that "the UGKTs parish is seeking the possibility of performing worship services in the church that is used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Representatives of Right Sector have tried to defend the position of the UGKTs parish."

 

Alexander Bogomol noted that representatives of the local government promised to take action in order to ensure the possibility for both parishes to worship peacefully.

 

On the same day, around 17:30, UGKTs priests and representatives of Right Sector gathered near a UGKTs chapel, which is located in the same village. During these gatherings, radicals shouted insults at Orthodox believers of the village and also predicted that in a few days UGKTs priests would enter the Orthodox church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God at any price. (tr. by PDS, posted 26 March 2015)


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