In Khodorovtsi, parish transferred to OCU despite declared loyalty to UOC

Meeting in Khodorovtsi on the "transfer" of the UOC church community. Photo: Facebook VO Svoboda

In the village of Khodorovtsi, Kamyanets-Podilsky district, Khmelnytsky region, the religious community of Archangel Michael of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church held a meeting on May 14, where it confirmed its loyalty to His Beatitude Onuphry and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This was announced in a video message by the rector of the church, Archpriest Tarasiy Kavulya. The appeal was published on the Facebook page of lawyer Victoria Kokhanovskaya. However, on May 15, the press service of the VO "Svoboda" in Kamyanets-Podilsky reported on Facebook about the "unanimous decision" of the community to move to the OCU.

"On May 14, more than 70 people at a meeting of our religious community decided to remain in the bosom of the canonical Orthodox Church under the leadership of His Beatitude Onuphry," said Fr. Tarasiy. "To date, a group of about 150 people have illegally entered the territory of our church, who held a rally, where they decided to ‘transfer’ our community (without our consent)."

According to the priest, the protesters said that in a week they intend to come and seize the UOC church: "If I agree to be a priest in their ‘coalition’, I will be ok, otherwise I will be thrown out, the temple will be ‘consecrated’, and they will continue to ‘act’."

Fr. Tarasiy said that the community had called in an investigative team, but the police had been sluggish at the event: We were insulted by those who called us separatists, Muscovites and others. The hand of the enemy is clearly visible here, who is trying to ignite a conflict between the villagers and people who are faithful to God and their country."

The church of the Archangel Michael is a former school building. The ewctor said that the parishioners had reconstructed it and turned it into a church. “They kneaded the foundation mortar with their own hands; carried sandbags on their shoulders ... There are a lot of empty rooms in the village: a former bathhouse, a medical center, for example. If these people want a temple, they can renovate it and have a place to pray. Please do it, but do not violate the laws of Ukraine, do not seize our temple."

The UOC community has all the documents for the church and the adjacent territory. The priest claims that all this can be taken away only through physical violence, raids, etc. He does not rule out the possibility of involvement of the so-called "black registrars". In his opinion, such incitement of hatred between neighbors and relatives is criminal in situations of war.

"Our defenders from the front call and ask for support. But what kind of support can there be when hatred is being aroused? We all want to face the enemy together. Maintaining peace here is a pledge that the warriors there will be calm. We strive for the peaceful coexistence of people with different views," said the rector.

We will remind, the authorities organized fake voting for transition of the UOC cathedral in Shepetivka to the OCU.

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