Kiev, May 19, 2023
Photo: spzh.news
A group of activists supporting the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” staged a blasphemous “funeral” for the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church outside the Kiev Caves Lavra on Wednesday.
The “service” was led by an open satanist who calls himself “the great magician Belial,” who was helped by activists based in the office of Poroshenko’s European Solidarity office across from the Lavra, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
Photo: spzh.news
The “magician” wore a pentagram with an image of Baphomet in place of an episcopal Panagia, and a “miter” with an image of satan. Other participants were dressed as bishops and zombies and barked, cackled, and pretended to sob.
Video of the “funeral” shows a large doll of Patriarch Kirill lying in a coffin:
At the end of the display, Belial pointed to the Lavra, saying: “Monks of the ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine will pray in these churches,” referring to the schismatic organization.
Actual prayers of the Church were read, interspersed with cursing, during the blasphemous service, and a real censer was used.
Photo: spzh.news
Such blasphemous displays were often held during the times of godless atheism last century as a means of dehumanizing the Church and desensitizing the people to its destruction.
Commenting on the blasphemy, His Eminence Metropolitan Kliment of Nezhin, head of the UOC’s Information-Education Department, said such blasphemy only makes him feel sorry for those involved. “I would like to hope that someday they’ll understand the error of their ways,” he said.
For his part, “Archbishop” Evstraty Zorya of the schismatic OCU condemned such actions because they make the [canonical] UOC look like a victim while discrediting the [schismatic] OCU.
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