In Polesskoe raiders cut locks on UOC temple in the presence of police

As it became known to the UOJ, in the village of Polesskoe of the Berezno district, Rovno region, activists have broken down the gate and are cutting locks on the St. Michael's Church of the UOC. The events are taking place on the evening of April 17.

Believers of the canonical Church tried to prevent activists from entering the temple, but they broke open the locks on the gate and broke through to the temple grounds.

According to the parishioners, the rector of the church, Archpriest Stepan Kovalchuk, and the religious community of the church held a parish meeting on March 17, at which they confirmed their loyalty to the UOC led by His Beatitude Onufry by a majority of votes – 130 people. 8 people abstained in the voting, no one voted against. Also, parishioners collected signatures in the village of those who support the UOC, which turned out to be more than 400 people.

In turn, the territorial community, led by the chairman of the village council and local activists, held their meeting on the “transfer” to the OCU. On the basis of the decisions of this allegedly “religious community”, the authorities registered the “transfer” and informed one and a half hundred believers of the UOC that they no longer exist. Now, having received the registration documents, the head of the village council, representatives of the police and OCU activists have come with grinders to the UOC temple, and are preparing to cut locks on the church to take it over.

The rector of the church, who tried to prove to the authorities that his community had not transferred anywhere, was hospitalized with a heart attack on the eve of the events. His flock intends to defend their temple.