Kiev, April 6, 2018
Photo: pravlife.org On the night that the holy Orthodox Church prayerfully remembers Christ’s betrayal by Judas and His Crucifixion amidst two thieves, unknown vandals attacked the Church of the Crucified Lord, setting fire to a parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate in Kiev.
The fire occurred around 12:30 AM on Friday morning at the Church of the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God in the Holosiivskyi District of the Ukrainian capital, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Photo: mitropolia.kiev.ua This is already the fourth attempt this year to burn a church in Kiev. Nationalist-radicals set fire to the Vladimiro-Olginskaya Church of the Monastery of the Tithes on January 25, on the night of March 9 to 10 unknown vandals set fire to the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Obolonsky District, and during the night from March 13 to 14, unknown persons set fire to a building on the territory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Mother of God.
Parish rector Fr. Dimitriy Garchuk wrote on his Facebook page, “Someone set fire to the church. From my heart, I thank the firefighters of the Holosiivskyi District.” And echoing Christ’s own merciful words from the Cross, he added, “Forgive, O Lord, the arsonists, for they know not what they do!”
Fr. Dimitriy also posted pictures that show the burnt walls of the church and asked for prayers.
