KIEV PATRIARCHATE AGAIN CONDUCTS FORCIBLE TAKEOVER OF CHURCH
Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 30 November 2015
On 29 November in Volyn there was yet another attempted seizure of a church building of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by representatives of the Kiev patriarchate with the direct involvement of local officials.
On this day in the village of Bribovitsa of the Ivanichiv district, the newly elected chairman of the village council, Pavel Stepanets, joined in the illegal replacement of locks on the church's doors, after which he sealed the church.
In this way, schismatics once again tried to take over the church of the Holy Protection [Pokrov], which since 20 September has remained sealed as the result of a conflict which they themselves provoked.
Having been registered only in August 2015, the parish of the UPTsKP began claiming the building of the existing parish of the UPTs. On 21 September, Filaretites broke into the church during a worship service and demanded of the priest that either he join the schism or surrender the church premises to them. At the time, law enforcement agencies were forced to close and seal the church. In October, the Holy Protection UPTs parish sent to the police a complaint against an incident of prevention of the performance of a religious ritual and an incident of illegal seizure of a sacred object. The complaint of the Holy Protection religious society of the UPTs was granted by decision of the Ivanichiv district court and a pretrial investigation was begun.
This time adherents of the UPTsKP tried to penetrate the premises under the pretext of conducting an inventory of property, which does not belong to them.
We recall that courts in Ternopol and Rovno provinces in November made a number of decisions that ruled the seizures of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by representatives of the Kiev patriarchate to be illegal. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 November 2015)
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