UOC community is forced to pass to schism in Ivano-Frankovsk (VIDEO)

On October 14, 2017 members of the Kyiv Patriarchate at a meeting of the residents of Ostrovok village in Gorodenka district of Ivano-Frankovsk region, under the leadership of the village head, announced the transfer of the community, its temple and even the priest and rector of the church, Nikolai Bogachenko, to the Kyiv Patriarchate, informs the press-service of Ivano-Frankovsk eparchy.

"Such arbitrariness caused surprise and indignation of the faithful of St. George's church. For the priest of the church, Protopriest Nikolai Bogachenko, it became incomprehensible why they decided for him in what faith he should serve and whom to obey. The religious community resolutely opposed such decisions of the territorial community and did not agree to transfer to the Kiev Patriarchate," the diocese said.

The statement stressed that the support of the authorities of the actions of the Kyiv Patriarchate and interference in the religious life of Ukrainians are unacceptable: "Once again local self-government bodies, together with representatives of the Kyiv Patriarchate, use ignorance of people, involving them in pseudo-legal procedures. Such actions of local government officials sow enmity between fellow villagers and lead to aggravation of relations in Ukrainian society. "

In their turn, manipulation and substitution of concepts, according to the eparchy, are "direct evidence of the information war being waged against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church": the Church Slavonic language is identified with the Russian, whereas a territorial community of the village – with a religious community of the church.

As reported by the UOJ, Filaret followers announced their intention to seize the temples of the UOC in Ivano-Frankovsk. A sectarian specialist called the politicization of religious life to be the main reason for aggravation of the inter-faith confrontation.