Authorities block UOC cross procession and lobby UOC KP "cross procession"
As the date of the Rus Baptism approaches, there’re more reports of the authorities’ attempts to disrupt the UOC cross procession and lobby for the UOC KP "procession".
All the information reaching the UOJ can be divided into two categories:
- Reports of the blockade of UOC believers in the regions. The authorities are putting pressure on local carriers so that they deny parishioners and priests of the UOC a trip to Kiev on July 27 for the cross procession of their Church.
- Reports of compulsory driving "state employees" to the "cross procession" of the UOC KP on July 28. Those who cannot be forced to participate in the religious procession of the Kiev Patriarchate are offered money.
Chernovtsy believers report to the UOJ on their failure to get to Kiev for the cross procession on the occasion of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus: transport companies refuse to carry them because of threats from local authorities.
According to UOJ sources, transporters are threatened of losing their license if they carry the UOC faithful to the capital.
The carriers say that the instruction to block the trip comes from the transport administration located in Kiev.
Protopriest Viktor Zemlianoy, responsible for the regulation of interfaith conflicts of the Rovno eparchy, reports that in the Rovno region the representatives of the district authorities hold "conversations" with drivers and "advise" them not to take cross procession participants to Kiev.
Zhitomir regional authorities are reported to be dead-set against the UOC believers of the Narodichi and Ovruch deaneries going to Kiev. This was said by Protopriest Pavel Linnik in an interview with the "1 Kozak".
At the same time, the authorities are actively working to ensure the "turnout" of the "cross procession" of the Kiev Patriarchate.
Protopriest Pavel Linnik told journalists that local authorities offer 200 UAH for a trip to the "procession" of the UOC KP on July 28.
In the Khmelnitsky region, all local authorities are reported to receive an order from the Regional State Administration to provide people for the UOC KP "procession", while businessmen are asked to finance all this. In this matter, conspiracy is observed and all instructions are given verbally. There are no any identification marks on the distributed documents.
A resident of another part of the Khmelnitsky region, vlg. Oslamov, reported that according to "the decision of the district council, each organization should present no less than five people to the "cross procession" of the schismatics. This is primarily teachers, doctors, educators". Those who do not agree can expect various sanctions.
It is reported from Slavuta that "deputies offer a free bus trip to the cross procession".
Workers of the Obukhov cardboard and paper factory are paid 400 UAH each for their participation in the "cross procession" of the UOC KP. The workers are transported in an organized way by buses to Kiev by appointment, reports Protopriest Andrei Brega, a priest of the Holy Cross Church of the Obukhov deanery of the Kiev Metropolitanate.
Earlier, the UOJ reported on the authorities preventing UOC believers from leaving for Kiev to take part in the cross procession of their Church in Zaporozhye, Sumy, Kherson and other regions of Ukraine.
