DUE TO POSSIBLE ENEMY PROVOCATIONS, P.Ts.U. PERMITS CHANGING TIME OF PASCHA SERVICES
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU), informed about possible provocations on the part of the enemy, has blessed the postponement of Easter worship services. This was declared by the primate of the PTsU, Metropolitan of Kiev and all-Ukraine Epifany, during a telethon.
"The church's duty is to protect the life and health of both parishioners and clergy from the danger of Russian shelling. You know, we have already heard about provocations announced by the enemy. Therefore the church at this time is blessing changing the observance of Easter worship services. Depending on the local situation and conditions of the curfew, these services may be postponed to Sunday morning and not conducted, as usual, at night," Epifany said. His words were related by ArmyInform.
At the same time he noted that everyone wishing it will also be able to join the online broadcasts. For example, worship from the St. Michael's Golden-domed cathedral will be broadcast on television and also on the internet platform of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifany said.
"During Pascha, everyone should feel the joy of the feast and thus the aggressor will not be able to deprive us of this great joy; everyone, to the extent possible, will be able to join in the celebration," the PTsU primate noted.
"Good, which
always
triumphs, will put an end to the evil which is now trying to
destroy us, and we
all together, I am sure, will certainly achieve victory," the
PTsU metropolitan
emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 April 2022)
DO NOT ALLOW ARMED PROVOCATIONS IN UKRAINE ON THE DAY OF PASCHA—RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Institute of Religion and Policy, 19 April 2022
The Russian Orthodox Church (RPTs) urged all caring people to prevent armed provocations in Ukraine on the feast day of Pascha, the possibility of which the Russian Ministry of Defense warned about on Monday.
"Information is arriving that the day of Holy Pascha, when the largest number of believers gather in churches, may be used for armed provocations. It is impossible to imagine anything more inhumane than to make the Glorious Resurrection of Christ, which Orthodox peoples both in Russia and in Ukraine and in many other countries are celebrating, an instrument of the escalation of conflict," the spokesman for the RPTs, Vladimir Legoida, wrote on his Telegram channel.
He thinks that such plans can come only from forces that are equally hostile to both Russian and Ukrainian people, and that are interested in intensifying the fratricidal hatred and creating new impediments on the path to peace.
"The church, which is unable to prevent this, is praying that provocations will not occur in churches on Pascha. I hope that all concerned people will unite their efforts to prevent a travesty upon Christians on the day of Christ's Resurrection," Legoida wrote.
The Russian
Ministry of
Defense had previously announced that Ukrainian formations are
planning to
stage provocations in order to blame the Russian army for
murders of the
civilian population in Ukraine. Such provocations are planned
for Zaporozhe,
Nikolaev, Odessa, Sumy, and Kharkov oblasts, the director of the
National
Center of Control of the Defense of the Russian Federation,
Mikhail Mizintsev,
reported. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 April 2022)
S.N.B.O. AND M.V.D. WARN THAT RUSSIA IS PREPARING SHELLING OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES IN UKRAINE ON EASTER
The Russian occupiers have made plans to shell Ukrainian Orthodox churches during the celebration of Pascha.
"It cannot be ruled out that the Russian military will conduct provocations on Pascha, while making an attempt to blame it on the V.S.U. [Armed Forces of Ukraine]." This was the warning of the secretary of the SNBO [National Security and Defense Council] of Ukraine, A. Danilov, in a broadcast of the national telethon on 18 April.
There is reference to possible attacks in statements on the Telegram channel of an advisor to the head of the MVD [Ministry of Internal Affairs], Anton Gerashenko.
"The propaganda publication of RIA [Russian News Agency] published a warning that allegedly 'the VSU is preparing to commit horrific provocations' and to blame the R.F. afterward for this. Everything that is talked about in Russia should be taken as a threat. It is obvious that Russia is thereby preparing an 'alibi' for itself," he wrote.
We recall that British intelligence has recorded that the shelling of the residential regions of Mariupol by Russian troops is consistent with the Russian Federation's approach to Chechnya in 1999 during the second Chechen war and to Syria in 2016.
The occupiers previously blamed "Ukrainian nationalists" for the shelling of churches.
The Russian
Ministry of
Defense devised fake news about how "Ukrainian nationalists"
allegedly are preparing to shell churches on the territory of
several regions
of Ukraine. This was described by the Kremlin publication RIA
Novosti. (tr. by
PDS, posted 19 April 2022)
UKRAINE IS PLANNING PROVOCATIONS ON EASTER NIGHT, DEFENSE MINISTRY DECLARES
The Russian Ministry of Defense warned about planning by Kiev of provocations with shelling of churches on Pascha.
The Russian military has evidence that Kiev is planning for Easter provocations with numerous victims among the civilian population, the director of the National Center for Control of the Defense of Russia, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, reported.
According to information of the center, in Zaporozhe, Nikolaevsk, Odessa, Sumy, and Kharkov oblasts of Ukraine there are plans to shell Orthodox churches with heavy weapons in order later to blame Russian troops for widespread murders of the civilian population. Kiev is planning these provocations with the support of several western countries.
"Out of the nationalistic battalions have been formed more than 70 mobile groups in vans and off-road vehicles equipped with mortars (the so-called 'wandering mortars') for the purpose of shelling Orthodox churches and buildings on Easter night," the general explained.
In order to record the so-called "outrages of the Russians" and to spin fake news, Kiev intends to attract a large number of reporters from western news agencies.
Mizintsev emphasized that the defense ministry "is warning in advance" western countries that Russia has "an operational evidence base" of the crimes being prepared.
The general emphasized that this timely statement should be immediately published and distributed to the United Nations, OSCE, Red Cross, and other organization, which could influence Kiev to prevent this inhumane provocation.
Russia started the military operation on 24 February for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin set as its goal "to protect people who over the course of eight years have been subjected to bullying and genocide on the part of the Kiev regime."
According to a statement of the Ministry of Defense, Russian armed forces are striking blows only to the military infrastructure and Ukrainian forces. The army has already fulfilled the basic goal of the first stage—it substantially reduced the military potential of Ukraine. The Russian military said that the main goal of the operation is the liberation of the Donbass. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 April 2022)
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