Kyiv Patriarchate alleges attempt to seize church in the Donetsk region

The Kyiv Patriarchate’s Press Service has issued a statement in which it asserts that the Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord in the village of Kamianka, Donetsk region, has been subjected to a raider attack. An analogous attempt was reported on 7 December on the Parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate [UOC KP] in the village of Rozdolne.

The report states that affluent businessmen from Donetsk, A. Koryuk and N. Mantopar, together with representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC MP] tried to carry out an unlawful “meeting of village residents” in order to formalize documents for transferring the congregation of the Church of the Resurrection to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The report alleges that on the eve of the meeting, the businessmen met with certain residents and tried to persuade them to vote for the transfer. “In exchange for such a decision there were promises to install expensive heating in the church, paint the domes in gold colour, etc. At the same time, religious enmity was stirred up”, the statement reads.

It states that the Head of the Parish and active members are adamantly opposed to the transfer and have stated clearly that they are remaining within the Kyiv Patriarchate.

There were, it is alleged, a lot of people brought in from outside at the meeting. This became clear since the Bishop of the Donetsk and Mariupol UOC KP, Serhiy and clergy from the Kyiv Patriarchate attended.

According to the statement, the situation remains tense and members of the parish have been forced to barricade themselves in their own church. It alleges that the parishioners are worried not only about the church, but for their own safety since people looking like criminals have appeared in the village.

From a report at RISU