Raiders of OCU seize UOC temple in Zhytomyr region

Raiders of the OCU cut off the locks in the Alexander Nevsky Church of the UOC in the village of Tsarivka. Photo: spzh.news

On April 13, 2023, the raiders of the OCU cut off the locks on the Alexander Nevsky Church of the UOC in the village of Tsarivka, Korostyshiv deanery of the Zhytomyr diocese, after which they seized the shrine. The UOJ was told about this by a source in the Zhytomyr diocese.

According to the source, the forceful seizure of the UOC temple occurred with the participation of the village headman, as well as deputies Eduard Pidkevych and Mykola Overkovsky.

The initiator of the raid is the head of the local Starostyn district, Olena Dukhnevych: “Back in May last year, she gathered 43 people from the so-called territorial community who decided to pass to the OCU ...> During the year, there were 5 attempts to raid the temple. In incomprehensible ways and illegally, our community was re-registered in favor of the OCU.”

At the same time, back in 2022, more than 150 members of the local religious community unanimously voted for loyalty to the UOC and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

As the UOJ reported, believers in the village of Tsarivka, Zhytomyr region, saved the UOC temple from the raider seizure.

Read also

Ostapenko: Everyone in UCCRO feels fine except the “FSB UOC”

The director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve called the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches “a wonderful organization.”

Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom

The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.

Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million

Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.

DESS official says state should not govern the Church

A DESS official called for cooperation between the state and the Church for the benefit of citizens.

Poltava court upholds mobilization of Protestant pastor

A court in the Poltava region ruled that a prior criminal conviction and religious beliefs do not exempt a person from military service.

Ostapenko: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra would not exist without Soviet-era reserve

The reserve director spoke about the Soviet museum’s role in saving the monastery, while stressing the need to rethink its history.