Ladyzhyn, Vinnitsa Province, Ukraine, December 29, 2023
Photo: news.church.ua
The Orthodox faithful of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Ladyzhyzn, Vinnitsa Province, managed to protect their church from seizure by radical schismatics yesterday.
However, several parishioners were injured in the altercation.
The attempt began at around 9 AM and lasted for several hours. Several men in military uniforms were bussed in, jumped the church fence and cut the lock, and entered the church, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
However, the rector Fr. Evgeny Vorobiov and many parish faithful arrived to defend their church. Police were present but stood idly by as the altercation turned physical.
The seizure attempt was preceded by a meeting of “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” supporters on November 10, at which they voted to transfer the parish out of the Church and into the schismatic structure. However, the local Orthodox Christians gathered three days later and voted to remain faithful to Christ in the Orthodox Church.
The schismatic OCU enjoys the blessing and support of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria, Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, even as its representatives continually turn violent against Orthodox Christians.
In comments to the Union of Orthodox Journalists, Fr. Evgeny explained that the parish rejected the police’s offer to seal the church until the matter can be resolved in court, knowing that the raiders could simply show up and seize the church at any time.
Instead, the faithful have closed themselves inside the church and intend to stay there as long as necessary to defend the sacred place. The door, torn off by the violent schismatics, was put back in place.
About 10 parishioners, including women, were injured while defending their church. Several people received bruises, one had his arm twisted, and another received severe scrapes on his shins when he was dragged across concrete blocks. The rector and several parishioners had their clothes torn.
Fr. Evgeny said that His Eminence Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and the newly established Church Against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination human rights group will bring the incident to international attention.
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