Nosivka parishioners appeal to authorities because of their raided church

The Trinity community of the UOC in Nosivka prays in front of its seized temple. Photo: Facebook page of Trinity Church

In the town of Nosivka in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, dozens of parishioners of the Holy Trinity community have been forced to pray outside their church for several days, which was seized by representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) along with unidentified individuals in camouflage on the night of October 3, 2023.

On their Facebook page, the community has appealed to the local authorities and law enforcement, demanding that order be restored and the perpetrators held accountable.

The appeal states that unknown individuals in military uniforms and clerical attire, with the assistance of individuals T. Zeziulkina, S. Trush, V. Kravchenko, and S. Borodin, cut locks and doors of the Holy Trinity Church using an angle grinder.

"They changed the locks and placed security guards. Unknown individuals in uniforms, as well as police officers, did not allow the religious community of our church and the clergy of our church, Father Mykhailo Hulyk and Father Volodymyr Oleksyk, to enter even the territory of the church. For the first time in 34 years, we do not have the opportunity to enter either the church or even its territory; people are forced to pray outside, right on the street," wrote parishioner Olga Holovko on behalf of the community.

The text also states that "these actions constitute a direct violation of Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Article 300 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, and undermine the honor and dignity of individuals."

The Holy Trinity community is requesting that the authorities intervene, restore order, and hold those involved in the unlawful actions accountable.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the people who seized the temple in Nosivka told the parishioners that they “must be destroyed.”

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