UOC hierarch: Ukrainian legislation trampled today

On March 28, 2023, Metropolitan Clement (Vecheria), head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, commented on the situation around the seizure of the Ivano-Frankivsk Cathedral.

The UOC bishop noted that "not a single Ukrainian media outlet covered the criminal actions of the city authorities of Ivano-Frankivsk towards believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which were accompanied by the beating of believers, beating of the clergy, and raiding the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church".

Metropolitan Clement said that "the day before in social networks, affiliated with the Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk Ruslan Martsinkiv, calls were spread to come on Tuesday, March 28, to the Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church located in Dovzhenko Street to commit acts of provocation and seize the temple".

The faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church appealed to the police, the Security Service, and other law enforcement agencies to report the planned crime, which had become known through the open media.

However, the metropolitan said, the law enforcement agencies were inactive. "There was a beating of people who were performing the service, that is, people were not given the opportunity to pray, physical force was used against them".

In addition, radicals used tear gas to prevent believers from being in the church and thus committed a mass poisoning of the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who were praying in the cathedral today, 28 March. As a result of this poisoning, the secretary of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy, Archpriest Vasyl was hospitalized. In addition, it should be noted that hospitals in Ivano-Frankivsk refused to admit him to hospital, so they had to take him to another city for medical care," the vicar said.

He also noted that "the events around the beating of worshippers and the abuse of the cathedral were broadcast live on his social media accounts by the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk".

"After the temple was broken into, representatives of the ‘OCU’, as well as other religious organizations, entered there and began to penetrate into the altar part. Women entered the altar part and videotaped the so-called prayer that took place after the seizure of the cathedral," the hierarch said.

According to the bishop, "in addition to the secretary of the eparchial office, Bishop Nikita of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia, as well as a number of the faithful who were at the services today, were beaten."

He noted that "neither the city authorities nor the law enforcement agencies prevented the actions of the attackers and aggressive people; moreover, such actions were encouraged by the authorities".

"Such actions are absolutely illegal, they are a manifestation of aggression, discrimination of Ukrainian citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs," the archbishop stressed.

Metropolitan Clement stated: "Today in Ivano-Frankivsk, we observed a situation when the state authorities openly, boldly, broadcasting even on social networks live, show that the legislation of Ukraine is absolutely trampled, that fundamental rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens have no meaning in Ukraine, that freedom of conscience and freedom of religious beliefs are absolutely neglected for the sake of radical young people, who on unknown grounds have weapons, have other means by which they commit physical violence against believers."

As earlier reported, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk said that the closure of the last UOC church was a "big historic event" for him.