Press secretary of Vinnytsia Eparchy: RSA official violates court decision
Deacon Andrei Balan. Photo: NASH TV channel
The decisions of the head of the Department for Religions and Nationalities of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration Igor Saletsky on the illegal re-registration of communities provoke new seizures of churches.
The press secretary of the Vinnytsia Eparchy, Deacon Andrei Balan, spoke about this, commenting for the NASH TV channel on the reasons that forced the Vinnytsia believers to stand in prayer before the building of the regional administration.
“The last straw was that in the Murovani Kurylivtsi Deanery of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Mohyliv-Podilsky Eparchy, Saletsky decided to re-register another village of Snitkiv. The Administrative Court of Kyiv dated July 30, 2021, forbade him to carry out any registration actions in those specific villages. Igor Saletsky is a person who ignores the decision of the court, ignores the requests of people on the ground. This is a problem not only for our Vinnytsia Eparchy, but today it is a painful wound for the entire region. Only in the Vinnytsia Eparchy, 25 churches were illegally re-registered, in the Tulchin Eparchy – 14, the same number in Mohyliv-Podilsky. More than 40 churches were re-registered in the Vinnytsia region by this person. The main thing is that he considers the minutes of the meeting of the villagers rather than the religious community. People, our believers, do not want to change their subordination.”
According to Deacon Andrei Balan, believers have repeatedly conveyed their demands to the authorities, but they have not been heard.
“We want peace both here and in our country, we want peace ... But we cannot understand why the administration cannot change its official. We wouldn't come here if everything was fine. People want to come here. It’s not we who call them – they ask us: when will the inaction of the authorities change?"
In the future, if there are no changes, prayer meetings can be prepared in advance and be much more numerous.
The UOJ spoke in detail about the reason and the course of the prayer standing near the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration.
Read also
Metropolitan Jonathan appeals sentence to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has requested criminal case files from the Vinnytsia City Court for cassation review.
UOC priest being forcibly held by TCC in Ternopil Region
Archpriest Oleh Melnyk was beaten at the TRC.
Metropolitan Victor comments on ROC's actions regarding UOC dioceses
UOC hierarch spoke about whether the statement by 33 UOC bishops could influence the ROC Synod’s decision on the leadership of the Donetsk Eparchy.
UOC hierarch: The Donetsk Eparchy remains part of the Ukrainian Church
Metropolitan Victor stated that 33 bishops of the UOC signed a statement condemning the removal of UOC Metropolitan Ilarion from managing the Donetsk Eparchy.
Greek hierarch condemns harsh reactions of priests toward LGBT marriages
Metropolitan Philotheos stated that the Church must love everyone, including those it disagrees with.
OCU criticizes the painting of Lutsk cathedral with portraits of businessmen
A report has surfaced that the businessmen and their relatives depicted on the frescoes of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Lutsk opposed having their portraits displayed on the cathedral walls.