Ukraine: Priest doused with green antiseptic during Divine Liturgy

Stryi, Lvov Province, Ukraine, May 23, 2022

Photo: news.church.ua Photo: news.church.ua Showing disdain for the celebration of the holy Eucharist, Ukrainian nationalists burst into a church and doused the priest’s face with green antiseptic during the Divine Liturgy yesterday.

The incident occurred at Holy Resurrection Church in the city of Stryi in the western Lvov Province, where the canonical Church is especially under attack, especially since the fratricidal war began in late February.

The Ukrainian Church’s Information-Education Department quotes the priest’s daughter:

Good people! This is the cry of the soul! What is happening in our country?! This is my father, Fr. Vladimir, a priest of the UOC in Stryi. Today, during a Church service, he was shot in the face with green paint by the so-called nationalists who are seizing our churches.

I write once again: Our priests pray for our soldiers, for our country, we pray in the Church Slavonic language, we help any way we can: with money, humanitarian aid. Come to your senses, God can’t be mocked. Each of us will give an answer to God for everything.

Such actions expose the cries of the schismatic nationalists to unite in prayer in the “Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” proving their true goal to be the complete elimination of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Chernivtsi Diocese comments on the incident.

Photo: news.church.ua Photo: news.church.ua     

“For as long as the Church exists, there will be a constant struggle between light and darkness, between a healthy body and disease,” the diocese stressed.

At least one Parliamentarian Deputy also commented on the incident. Maxim Buzhansky of the Servant of the People Party writes on Telegram: “If our entire country really supports the course towards the EU as polls show, this crime should receive the unambiguous assessment of society. Harassment of dissidents, harassment for language, harassment for religion, any harassment must be a thing of the past.”

The police should be working to identify and apprehend the perpetrators, the Deputy writes.

The courage required to attack a priest rather than join the war effort “is huge,” Buzhansky writes sarcastically.

Officials in Boryslav, another Lvov Province city, recently voted to completely ban the canonical Orthodox Church beginning June 1.

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5/23/2022

See also
UOC to gather hierarchs, clergy, monastics, laity to discuss wartime issues UOC to gather hierarchs, clergy, monastics, laity to discuss wartime issues UOC to gather hierarchs, clergy, monastics, laity to discuss wartime issues UOC to gather hierarchs, clergy, monastics, laity to discuss wartime issues
The Holy Synod met today at the Kiev Caves Lavra under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine. Ukrainian mayor bans Orthodox Church under pretext of national security threat Ukrainian mayor bans Orthodox Church under pretext of national security threat Ukrainian mayor bans Orthodox Church under pretext of national security threat Ukrainian mayor bans Orthodox Church under pretext of national security threat
The Konotop mayor is a notorious member of the far-right nationalist Svoboda party, which has been involved in attacks on the canonical Church for years. A 2019 Times of Israel article referred to Semenikhin and Svoboda as “neo-Nazi” and “anti-Semitic.” Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country Ivano-Frankivsk authorities demand that Ukrainian Church be banned throughout the country
The demand comes a week after the clergy and parishioners of the Ivano-Frankivsk Diocese made their own appeal to the President to protect their Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, the only church not closed by authorities in the western Ivano-Frankivsk Province, home to 1,368,000 people.
Comments
Daniel6/30/2022 1:06 pm
Well said Seraphim. They want to join anti-christ EU. Well do that. You will lose your religion. But then again, I find it difficult to view the Ukrainian leadership and nationalists as orthodox anyway. The want to be protestants, LGBT friendly and secular as the West. You join to those who are like you. As the Holy Bible says, tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are
Alex5/23/2022 3:51 pm
Such evil people to have done this. May God have mercy on their souls!
Seraphim 5/23/2022 2:38 pm
In answer to Maxim Buzhansky and the people of Ukraine: Wait till you finally join the EU, that's when the harassment will really start - Anyone who quotes the Bible on so-called LGBTQ+ will be shamed and lose their jobs, adoption services which are against giving children to homosexual couples will be banned. Anyone who opposes homosexual marriage will be kicked out of society. The absolute reign of fanatical secular-humanist liberalism will be enforced everywhere - usually by self-polciing and media shaming. Traditional values and elevation of Ukrainian history and culture will be denigrated in favour of banal Hollywood "culture". Well, you like the West and its what you all want - so welcome and have fun! Trust me, I live here.
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