On the eve of Holy Thursday, OCU activists seizes church in Starye Koshary

On the evening of April 24, representatives of the OCU seized the Church of St. John the Theologian in the village of Starye Koshary of the Kovel district, Volyn region, reports the press service of the Vladimir-Volyn Eparchy.

The “clergymen” of the UOC-KP / OCU went to Starye Koshary after a religious procession through the streets of Kovel. In the village, with the assistance of the head of the village Galina Shepshelei and with the help of local activists, supporters of the newly formed church structure forcibly entered the church, breaking the doors.

“The church raiders, with the connivance and support of the regional administration and local self-government bodies, grossly violating all the norms of the Ukrainian legislation “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”, seized the Church of the Apostle John the Theologian. The seizure took place on the eve of Holy Thursday, the day of the betrayal of Christ by Judas. The religious community of the village of Starye Koshary in the holy days of the memories of the sufferings, crucifixion and death of Christ the Savior is left on the street, without the opportunity to pray in the temple. It remained faithful to the Lord devotee Jesus Christ,” the eparchy emphasized.

The conflict in Starye Koshary has been developing since April 5 when the village community ignored the opinion of the UOC community and re-registered the Church of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian to the OCU. On April 20, the schismatics attempted to seize the temple. The believers managed to fight back the attack, but on April 23, the head of the village, Galina Shepshelei, promised the rector Sergey Koreniuk that if the church was not given voluntarily, it would be taken over at Easter.