The activists of the OCU applied physical force against the faithful; the local media used this provocation to write a case against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church
March 17, 2019 – Archbishop of Vinnitsa Varasnophy (the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church[note]The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) is an autonomous Orthodox Church with the headquarter in Kiev, Ukraine. It is spiritually and canonically linked with the Russian Orthodox Church.[/note]) reports in his facebook page: “All Vinnitsa media write about the fact that the door (of the church- ed.) was broken down and a glass was smashed in Luka Meleshkovskoy. But it all started with the fact that they (supporters of the OCU[note]Orthodox Church of Ukraine is a religious organization that was formed with an aid of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine and with non-canonical actions of the Constantinople Patriarchate at the end of 2018. So far, none of the canonical Orthodox Churches has recognised this organization as an Orthodox Church.[/note] – ed.) locked father Vassiliy, the rector, inside the church, and against me, the ruling bishop, a physical force was used. I came alone to the representatives of the OCU to talk, in order to understand their positions and claims against me, but unfortunately no one wanted to listen. When Chirkun, a priest of bishop Simyon[note] Bishop Semyon is a former bishop of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.[/note], arrived, he gave the order to throw me out of the church’s yard. [..] Physical force was applied against me and I was pushed aside to the fence. Father Vassiliy and the parishioners in the church saw it and opened the door by force, damaging the doors and the glass. I made a cutting of the main points to show how it all happened. I will describe and post more videos later.”
Visual Testimony:
Sources:
- Archbishop Varsanophy’s facebook page – post of 17 March 2019
- UOC Vinnitsa Diocese’s official website – 17 March 2019, “Warning! False information has been disseminated!”
Related Publications:
- March 19, 2019 – Public prayers were disrupted by the aggressive mob that broke into a church after the liturgy in Kiev Region.
- March 14, 2019 – Interview with victims of the recent seizure of a Holy Protection Church and with Brian S. Brown, a president of the World Congress of Families, who visited the place of the incident.
- March 10, 2019 – Sunday Divine Liturgy was prevented and the church hijacked in the presence of Local Authorities and the police.