RPTs UPSET BY MURDERS OF CLERGY IN KIEV
The murders in Kiev of two representatives of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchate (UPTsMP) in the past several days, against the backdrop of the slanderous campaign in several Ukrainian news media directed against it, provokes concern, RIA Novosti was told by the vice-chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow patriarchate, Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, commenting on news reports appearing on Wednesday about the violent death of Sister Alevtina of the St. Florus convent.
"This news evokes profound sorrow and concern for the fate of the clergy and persons religious of the Ukrainian Orthodox church. Today news has arrived about the death in the hospital of priest Roman Nikolaev, who also was a victim of criminals acting in not completely clear circumstances. Considering that this is happening against the background of a slanderous campaign in several Ukrainian news media, directed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, such incidents evoke special alarm," Balashov said.
Sister Alevtina was found "dead with marks of violence in Kiev," the synod's Information Department of the Moscow patriarchate reported on Wednesday. Its chairman, Vladimir Legoida, expressed condolences to the sisters of the St. Florus Holy Ascension convent located in the center of Kiev and a relative of the deceased nun. Legoida said, "those who did this horrible crime placed themselves outside the Ukrainian people, who from antiquity have revered those who are standing before God."
"Sister Alevtina was a 62-year-old teacher who was tonsured not long ago. We have been told that she was supposed to go to the hospital and she asked her nephew to transport her, but before visiting the doctor she stopped in at her apartment. And there her nephew found her murdered," the head of the UPTsMP press service, Vasily Anisimov, told RIA Novosti. He said the church does not yet know whether a criminal case has been opened.
The UPTsMP website reported that Wednesday a 41-year-old Kievan priest, Roman Nikolaev, died without recovering consciousness. He was the rector of the church of the Great Martyr Tatiana of the Obolonsk deanery, who in the night of 26 July was shot twice in the head in Kiev by unidentified persons. One of the reasons for the attack was a visit by residential thieves, although news media reported that this version has not been confirmed, since nothing was stolen from the priest's home. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 July 2015)
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