Voice of Orthodox Ukraine

Documents justifying the actions of masked individuals who'd cut the locks on the church were not presented to UOC parishioners. In the village of Kalyta, in the Brovary district, supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the St. Nicholas Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The first "service" of the OCU in the church was reported by Tribuna Brovary. The seizure was initiated by activist Pavlo Dubovyi. UOJ sources report that unknown individuals in balaclavas and military uniforms entered the church, cut the locks, and replaced them with their own. The intruders claimed that back on April 6, 2024, they had transferred the church to Dumenko's jurisdiction (head of the OCU), but they were only able to enter the church six months later—"after completing state registration and processing all the documents." However, according to UOJ sources, no documents confirming the legality of such actions were presented. The editorial office also learned about the seizure of another UOC church, dedicated to the martyr John the Warrior, where OCU raiders placed their own locks on the door. #discriminatory_laws #illegal_prosecution #freedomforUOC #religious_discrimination #truth_about_Ukraine Source of the info. Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine

Law enforcement has initiated a criminal case against a cleric of the UOC for posts on social media. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has presented a suspicion to a monk of the Vvedensky Monastery of the UOC in Kyiv, according to the SBU’s Facebook page. It has become known that the law enforcement information refers to Archimandrite Volodymyr Rakk, who previously moved to Kyiv from the occupied Tokmak. According to the investigation, the monk was spreading pro-Russian narratives on social media, justifying Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and disseminating false information about the socio-political situation in Ukraine. It is reported that during searches at the monastery, the SBU found evidence of the cleric's criminal activities. In particular, photos taken during the search show Russian banknotes, allegedly seized from the monk. Based on the collected materials, he has been charged under Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for up to 5 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property for justifying and denying Russian aggression. The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office. The sanctions under the article in question include imprisonment for up to 5 years and confiscation of property. #discriminatory_laws #illegal_prosecution #freedomforUOC #religious_discrimination #truth_about_Ukraine Source of the info. Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine

The parliamentarian believes that the UOC can exist as a non-canonical structure after breaking ties with Russia. Ukrainian Member of Parliament from the European Solidarity party, Mykola Kniazhytsky, stated that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has no right to declare autocephaly, since an autocephalous church – the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) – already exists in the country. In his opinion, the UOC can join the OCU, as its leader, Epifaniy Dumenko, has invited them to unite. "If the UOC truly ceases to be connected to the Moscow Patriarchate and severs all relations with Kirill, no one will prevent them from serving. They can join the OCU or remain an independent church. There must be a legitimate basis for the church's existence. The UOC has no tomos and no decision that it exists independently," Kniazhytsky said in an interview with Gazeta.ua. He also stated that after the Russian Church severed all ties with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the UOC also lost its connection with him. Additionally, Kniazhytsky said that after breaking ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, the UOC could remain a non-canonical structure, as was previously the case with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP). "A religious public organization that does not violate state laws has the right to exist. This is freedom of faith. We have only banned the affiliation with Moscow. This is the fundamental difference between the current law and the proposals from two years ago," he emphasized. #discriminatory_laws #illegal_prosecution #freedomforUOC #religious_discrimination #truth_about_Ukraine Source of the info. Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine

The media publish photos of security forces who have been conducting searches in the monastery since the morning. Comments in the media are reminiscent of the news of the Bolshevik era, where there is a total victory over "enemies of the people", "priests" and "agents of foreign intelligence". "The SBU continues to clear Ukraine of Moscow agents in cassocks," the source UNN said. "Local monks are very fond of the 'Holy Mother Russia', spread Kremlin propaganda and support the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine," "Oboz" inflames. However, both "media", as if on cue, spread the same disinformation, word for word. Have you ever heard something like this in a monastery? We personally. We have been there many times and we can say that it is difficult to come up with more nonsense. However, more truthful fictions are not needed for repression. #discriminatory_laws #illegal_prosecution #freedomforUOC #religious_discrimination #truth_about_Ukraine Source of the info. Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine

One more voice in defense of Ukrainian Christians was heard from the Orthodox residents of the United States. The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the United States has expressed concern about the recently adopted law 3894, which is planned to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Assembly includes bishops of all Local Orthodox Churches located in North America. And that's why their opinions and statements are very important. Orthodox bishops from the United States note that they are watching the religious situation in Ukraine with serious concern. "While recognizing the legitimate right of governments to prevent all security threats during a time of war, the Assembly is deeply concerned with the adoption by the Ukrainian parliament of Bill 8371 (Law 3894).. Ukraine is a religiously pluralistic society. In the interest of religious freedom and the rule of law, we pray the Ukrainian Law 3894 is not used to persecute any religious group within Ukraine, which would threaten the religious liberty of millions of its citizens." The bishops pray for a peaceful solution, and also call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the exchange of prisoners. Unfortunately, we did not see the name of the victim of the law – the UOC – understandable to everyone. They did not find any mention in the text that thousands and thousands of believers and priests of the UOC have been experiencing a large-scale campaign of persecution for a long time. The situation is obvious and requires more detailed criticism. However, it is very important that these words are heard now. Even such restrained theses mean a lot. Especially while taking into account the weight and the influence of Constantinople and its "archons" in the United States. #discriminatory_laws #illegal_prosecution #freedomforUOC #religious_discrimination #truth_about_Ukraine Source of the info. Subscribe to Voice of Orthodox Ukraine, know truth about human rights and religious politics in Ukraine

🇬🇧ORTHODOX BISHOPS OF THE USA CONCERNED ABOUT UKRAINIAN ANTI-CHURCH LAW 🇺🇦ПРАВОСЛАВНІ ЄПИСКОПИ #США СТУРБОВАНІ АНТИЦЕРКОВНИМ ЗАКОНОМ