Priyutovka, Kirovograd Province, Ukraine, September 3, 2024
A priest was sprayed with a fire extinguisher during the violent seizure of another church. Photo: spzh.live
The schismatic nationalists of the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” have physically seized hundreds of Orthodox churches since its founding in 2018.
These seizures often descend into physical violence against clergy and the faithful, including elderly women. The latest such incident came on August 31 in the village of Priyutovka, Kirovograd Province, in central Ukraine, when camouflaged men cut off the locks and broke into the Church of St. George the Great Martyr, reports the Telegram channel Dozor.
His Eminence Metropolitan Bogolep of Alexandria spoke from the scene about how the raiders used tear gas and fire extinguishers against the Orthodox Christians, including the local priest, who came to defend their church.
The invaders closed themselves up on the territory of the church and refused to allow the Orthodox Christians to enter.
As the faithful stood outside the gate praying, they could see through the church windows how the schismatics were running around inside the church with drinks and disrespecting the house of God.
“We don’t know what will happen to our property, our antimension, and we ask for your prayers so that our holy site not be desecrated, and that such a cynical and non-spiritual attitude would finally stop,” said Met. Bogolep.
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