Assailants with pepper sprays try to disrupt the UOC worship in Tovtry

The hired militants did not allow believers into the church territory. Photo: Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy of the UOC

On June 6, 2019, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, in the village of Tovtry of Zastavna district, Chernovtsy region, another conflict burst out around the Holy Dormition church, which had been seized on May 18 by the OCU supporters. It is reported by the press service of Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy of the UOC.

Today, the UOC believers were going to celebrate a festive divine service on the temple grounds, but a group of young people, who had been invited to the village by the OCU supporters to “guard” the captured church from the Orthodox community, tried to impede. The law enforcement officials present at the scene did not intervene.

“The rector of the temple began to serve the Akathist to the Ascension of the Lord standing at the gates,” the press service of the eparchy reported. “Later, a new priest from the new religious organization arrived, to which the community of the canonical Church was forcibly transferred by the order of the head of the region, Mikhail Pavliuk. Since the canonical priest was not allowed to enter the temple, the community decided not to let this new priest into the temple, too. Mercenary fighters with gas sprays ran out to help the OCU priest and cleared the way for him to the temple by force.

The eparchy noted that "total lawlessness of the militants and total inactivity of the National Police" exhausted all patience of the believers: people removed the gate and entered the temple grounds.

“Afterwards, near the refectory, on the temple grounds, Father John and the community were able to start Divine Liturgy. The Chernovtsy-Bukovina Diocese does not in any way encourage or justify force actions but requests the National Police to identify militants who illegally act and disrupt the performance of religious rites by Father John and incite the religious conflict in the village of Tovtry,” stressed the eparchy and urged to identify the assailants.

As the UOJ reported, on June 2, 2019, young people of athletic build from the security company "Tiger" blocked the UOC community from entering the seized Holy Dormition church in the village of Tovtry of Zastavna district, Chernovtsy region.

The seizure of the temple occurred on May 18, when the law enforcement officers helped the OCU supporters to cut locks on the temple, pushing back the believers of the canonical Church with the help of a “human chain”.

After the UOC church had been seized, the believers of Chernovtsy eparchy started 24-hour prayer standing at the walls of the local Regional State Administration.

Recall that criminal proceedings are opened against the acting governor of Chernovtsy region, Mikhail Pavliuk, as well as other officials of Chernovtsy Regional State Administration, involved in committing an official forgery in favor of the OCU (issuing deliberately false orders).

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