RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


UPTsMP service disrupted outside Kiev

SCHISMATICS FROM UPTsKP BROKE UP DIVINE LITURGY IN KIEV PROVINCE

Official website of Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 23 August 2015

 

On 23 August, during the divine liturgy, unidentified persons burst into the Saint Vladimir's church of the village of Malye Dmitrovichi, of the Obukhov district of Kiev province, who called themselves representatives of the local self-defense. Subsequently the troublemakers were joined by priests from the Kiev patriarchate. Spouting obscenities, they forced the rector of the church and parishioners to interrupt the worship service and then they drove them from the church, closing the premises.

 

Police who arrived at the parishioners' summons kept their distance from the incident and did not prevent the disruption of the service. Now a petition to the prosecutor's office has been submitted not only about the violation of Ukrainian law on the part of the schismatics from the UPTsKP but also about the inaction of the MVD agencies.

 

It should be noted that in the village of Malye Dmitrovichi of Obukhov district of Kiev province, there never was a registered parish of the UPTsKP. Therefore the incident that occurred on 23 August was a classic example of an armed raiders' seizure of church premises. There were no documents presented that would give the right to the representatives of the so-called self-defense to commit robbery and break up a worship service.

 

The sorrow over this incident is increased by the fact that it happened on the eve of the holiday of Ukrainian Independence Day. After all, with the blessing of the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufrey, prayer services of thanksgiving for Ukraine will occur in all churches of UPTs on 24 August. Prayer for Ukraine may be disrupted through the robbery committed by schismatics in the village of Malye Dmitrovichi. (tr. by PDS, posted 24 August 2015)


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