Kremenets, Ternopil Province, Ukraine, October 27, 2023
Photo: pravlife.org
Just as it demanded the eviction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with its monastics and seminarians, from the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra, now the state is demanding that the Church abandon its St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kremenets in the Ternopil Province in western Ukraine.
The Kremenets-Pochaev State Historical and Architectural Preserve sent its demand earlier this month, which was then published by the Diocese of Ternopil.
The Preserve notes that its demanded is backed up by court decisions from June 15 and October 2:
The decision of the Economic Court ... in the case of the claim of the Kremenets-Pochaev State Historical and Architectural Preserve on the obligation of the religious community to return to the Preserve the state real estate of the premises of an architectural monument of national significance—the St. Nicholas Cathedral with cells of the 16th-17th centuries… by vacating the occupied premises has entered into legal force and is binding.
Should the Orthodox community refuse to leave the cathedral, the Preserve will apply to law enforcement bodies to enforce the court’s decision.
In its message about the expulsion, the Ternopil Diocese notes that the community has taken care of the church for 30 years, “but unfortunately, the state did not appreciate this.”
This is just another aspect of the targeted campaign against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the diocese writes, entreating prayers for Archpriest Vasily Vozniuk and the parish community of the St. Nicholas Cathedral.
The authorities have also targeted the nuns of the Holy Theophany Convent in Kremenets.
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