Raiders used tear gas against UOC parishioners while seizing their church in Pryyutivka village

DECR Communication Service, 03/09/2024

On August 31, a group of camouflaged raiders forced the locks and entered the territory of St. George Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Pryyutivka village, Kirovohrad region. According to Metropolitan Boholep of Oleksandria and Svitlovodsk who was present at the scene, the attackers used tear gas and fire extinguishers against the Orthodox Christians.

The trespassers barricaded themselves inside, refusing to let the parishioners and the clergy in their church. The Dozor_kozak1 Telegram channel published a video footage, showing the raiders’ cynical behaviour. They attacked the priest with a fire extinguisher and then a woman in camouflage started filming him on her phone camera.

As the UOJ’s website reports, despite the fact that the church building belongs to the parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and court trials continue over the falsification of documents by the OCU activists, the police acted in the interests of the perpetrators.

While the parishioners were praying outside the fence, the attackers were desecrating the church. “Our people saw them through the windows running inside the church… Drinks in hand, they show disrespect towards the house of God. We don’t know what will happen to our property, the antimension, and ask for your prayers that the desecration of our holy site and such cynical and un-spiritual behaviour stop at last,” Metropolitan Boholep said. The hierarch asked the faithful to pray for St. George community.

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Raiders used tear gas against UOC parishioners while seizing their church in Pryyutivka village

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons