Ivano-Frankivsk believers appeal to the President due to pressure on UOC

Clerics and parishioners of the Ivano-Frankivsk diocese appealed to President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky in light of the possible seizure by schismatics of the Nativity Cathedral in Ivano-Frankivsk city. The full text of the appeal is posted on the official website of the diocese.

“We inform you that our Ivano-Frankivsk diocese of the UOC is experiencing constant groundless and unprecedented harassment from the local authorities! Priests and believers are subjected to pressure and threats. Currently, all churches and monasteries of the diocese, except for the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk, are forcibly closed and sealed,” the statement says.

The believers of Ivano-Frankivsk informed the President that on April 4, 2022, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Martsinkiv addressed the townspeople with the news about the ostensibly “voluntary” change of confessional affiliation by the religious community of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ and called on the local residents to help the community move to another confession, namely the OCU.

“We officially declare and emphasize that neither the clergy nor the community of the cathedral made such a decision and did not turn to the mayor with such an issue, as he notes in his statement. We take his call for so-called help as a call to force the religious community to change its subordination, otherwise the temple will be seized by force. These actions do not comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and the current laws of Ukraine, violate the right to freedom of religion, and, in our opinion, are particularly harmful in wartime, as they destabilize society. The rhetoric of Mr. Ruslan Martsinkiv completely counter your directive, which you expressed at the beginning of the warfare, regarding the observance of inter-confessional peace and the avoidance of dividing Ukrainian citizens by their church affiliation. They also contradict the official position of the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and adviser Mykhailo Podoliak, who note that such actions split the Ukrainian society,” the parishioners of the Ivano-Frankivsk diocese emphasize.

The same statements and actions, according to the clergy of the diocese, are taking place among officials in other cities and villages of the region, due to which the the priests and the faithful are deprived of the constitutional right to worship. Moreover, the temples are sealed and access to them is limited.

“Mr. President, is the territory of Ivano-Frankivsk and the region not covered by the Constitution of Ukraine and the current legislation? Do local officials have the right to such actions, notably in times of war? On the basis of what law are people deprived of the right to pray in the temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ivano-Frankivsk and the Ivano-Frankivsk region?” wonder the believers.

The authors of the appeal drew attention to the fact that such actions of the authorities violate the Constitution and a number of Laws of Ukraine.

“The Church is people, while the UOC is the Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox people. At the same time, a patriot is a person who unites the people, rather than the one who mocks his neighbors, violates rights and incites conflicts within the State,” the believers say.

The Ivano-Frankivsk diocese of the UOC has taken an active public position since the outbreak of the war. A Center for Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Internally Displaced Persons was created within the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ. IDPs from different parts of the country can find shelter here. Every day there is a distribution of hot meals to refugees and needy residents of the city. Assistance is organized and provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, displaced persons, and orphans on a regular basis. The parishioners of the churches of the diocese are fulfilling their civic duty, being in the ranks of the territorial defense and performing military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, protecting the country from the Russian aggressor.

“We would like to note that the only cathedral operating in the region is a spiritual haven not only for the faithful of the UOC within the region, but also for internally displaced persons from different cities of the country. After all, our Church in Ukraine has a multi-million flock. We ask you to intervene in the situation and stop these arbitrariness, immediately take measures to protect the clergy and laity of the Ivano-Frankivsk diocese of the UOC, its churches and property from unlawful attacks by individuals who incite religious enmity and hatred in wartime,” stressed the parishioners of the Ivano-Frankivsk Cathedral.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Ivano-Frankivsk diocese had denied the transfer of the UOC Cathedral community to the OCU.

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