Attempt of seizure of an Orthodox Church at the northeast of Ukraine

December 11, 2015. Representatives of the self-proclaimed Kiev Patriarchate tried to seize the building of the church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Vyazovo (Sumy region), as information service of the UOC MP reports.

For this purpose, the activists used their traditional techniques of collecting signatures among the believers. However, the dissenters failed as the people decided to remain under the canonical jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). The initiator of the change of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the community was the former rector of the church. He was banned from service for violation of priestly oath and immoral behaviour. Villagers complained that they constantly saw this priest in a drunken state and even though he was a celibate priest he had a family.