Secretary of Odessa Eparchy: Arson of temples is a planned action

Протоиерей Евгений Гутьяр, секретарь Одесского епархиального управления. Фото: скриншот видео на YouTube-канале «7 канал»

The arson of churches and monasteries of the UOC is a planned action, noted the secretary of the Odessa Eparchy Administration, Archpriest Eugene Gutyar on the air of "7 Channel".

“Apparently, and these are objective assessments, the results of these arsons are really planned actions. The only thing (is not clear, - Ed.) whose plans it is going to be,” said Archpriest Eugene. “Obviously, it goes about the incitement, which has recently been carried out on some TV channels, in the media, and by some “journalists”. They are deliberately fueling the situation.”

The priest drew attention to the fact that the arsonist could be influenced by the statements of some biased media who are deliberately trying to set society against the Church.

“Instead of enjoying Easter peace and joy, unfortunately, very serious news agencies are engaged in inciting discord, calling the Church a source of infection and something else,” explained the secretary of the Odessa Eparchy. “And of course, in the minds of some citizens who have an unstable psyche, this pushes to certain actions of this kind.”

According to Archpriest Eugene, the fact that fires occur only in the churches and monasteries of the UOC, while religious buildings of other religious structures remain untouched, gives food for thought.

These arsons are beneficial to those who couldn’t make the Church an instrument of national disaster, the clergyman noted.

“Such actions always indicate only one thing – powerlessness. We attribute this to a failed attempt to defame the Orthodox Church,” he said.

According to the secretary of the Odessa Eparchy, in a fire in the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa, a warehouse with materials for the hospice, which is currently being built by the Church in the village of Marinovka, Belyaevka district, and a warehouse with fodder supplies for the monastery barn burnt down.

Archpriest Eugene emphasized that the arson in this monastery is barbarism because the fire destroyed everything that people collected for a good purpose.

He also spoke of the comfort God sent – that very evening a calf was born in another cow barn.

Earlier, the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary called the arson of the UOC churches and monasteries a terror against the Church and urged the authorities to take control of the investigation of these crimes.

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