OCU raiders seize UOC temple in Netishyn

Seizure of the temple in Netishyn. Photo: Archpriest Roman Tyshkun’s Facebook page

On 27 July 2023, OCU raiders with the support of the police seized St. Paraskeva’s Church of Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi region, reports Archpriest Roman Tyshkun, the rector of the UOC church, on its Facebook page.

The supporters of the OCU began raiding the temple after the evening service on the eve of the day of memory of Prince Vladimir the Equal-to-the-Apostles.

"After the All-Night Vigil, most of the parishioners, unsuspecting, had already gone home. Several people and I remained in the temple. And then suddenly appeared activists," noted the rector of the St. Paraskeva’s Church, Archpriest Roman Tyshkun.

During the raid, about 50 men pushed the Orthodox believers out of the temple. The seizure was supported by the police.

Earlier, OCU supporters illegally re-registered the religious community of St. Paraskeva’s Church. The basis for this was the decision of the meeting of the territorial community, which was held back on 9 April. As the Orthodox believers note, at the said meeting the same people, who have no relation to the religious communities of the UOC, voted for the transfer of St. Paraskeva’s Church and the Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God "Neopalimaya Kupina" ("The Unburnt Bush") seized on 9 July to the jurisdiction of the OCU.

On 7 April, the deputies of the Netishyn Town Council decided to ban the activities of the UOC in the town and seize the land plots under the UOC temples

As previously reported, Archpriest Roman Tyshkun said that depriving UOC churches of the right to land is a criminal offence.

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