Enough to stir up hatred: UOC community appeals to Chortkiv authorities

Believers of Chortkiv city of the Ternopil diocese, whose authorities on April 22 announced the need to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, appealed to local officials not to incite interreligious conflicts among residents, but to rally instead to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine and refugees.

The parishioners of the temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Support to the Humble” note that the parish has more than 100 parishioners, most of whom are residents of Chortkiv, therefore, the authorities oppose the interests of the townspeople.

“Dear deputies, you write beautifully on paper that you expect us to ‘democratically’ renounce our faith, but in a personal conversation you incite ordinary citizens of our city to hate against us. Now, under some of your posts, citizens write that our Church should be closed, and we should be physically dealt with. For what? How will you then look into the eyes of our warrior parishioners when they return victorious?” the message says.

“The time has come to stop religious fight and discord in our long-suffering Ukraine. We will show the whole world that we, true patriots, are able to live in peace, coexist harmoniously and respect each other despite our personal religious beliefs,” say the parishioners of the UOC from Chortkiv city.

As the parishioners of the community told the UOJ, their appeal was accepted and registered with the City Council.

Recall that the mayor of Chortkiv, Ternopil region, Vladimir Shmatko, is convinced that the UOC should be prohibited in the city, while the local parish should “promptly, democratically and civilly” move to the OCU.

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