Ukraine: Another Church Forcibly Transitioned to State Control

In Cherkasy, Ukraine, a group of individuals in Ukrainian military camouflage and balaclavas stormed a Ukrainian Orthodox Church cathedral during a liturgy, forcibly ejecting the worshippers. The men destroyed doors, windows, and surveillance cameras, while localpolice, present at the scene, did not intervene and reportedly assisted in the seizure. Following the incident, some members belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church arrived with other parishioners, leading to a violent confrontation. During the altercation, one of the assailants opened fire on the worshippers using a traumatic weapon and also deployed tear gas.
The brawl is as a result of a disagreement emerging from a Ukrainian policy to transfer Russia linked churches that Ukraine accuse of being intelligence gathering platforms. So those against this transfer were trying to prevent state officials from taking control of thechurch, complaining that the church’s change of jurisdiction was unfair. After the scuffles eased, Ukraine’s Military Chaplain Volodymyr Pedko reported that the Saint Michael Cathedral in Cherkasy was now officially passed to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He said now the temple will be garrisoned. On its territory, Ukrainian authorities plan to create a centre of national and patriotic education, open a Sunday school and organise the training of chaplains.
There is no doubt that the Ukranian leadership is continuing to escalate its persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accusing the clergy and parishioners of working for Russia. So what is happening to the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine? OnAugust 20, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a bill on what the Ukrainian authorities described as the “prohibition of religious organisations associated with the Russian Federation. The law came into force 30 days after its publication. According to the legislation, the Ukrainian church will have nine months to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Ukrainian State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience Chairman Viktor Yelensky stated that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church needs to publish statements on its leadership’s withdrawal from the Russian Orthodox Church’s governing bodies for the law not to be applied to it. Since March 2022, local authorities have been issuing orders to ban the canonical church’s activities on their territory, and more than 80 such decisions have been made by Ukrainian local administrations. According to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Synod, more than 1,500 churches have been seized by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This is the latest of such “transfers.” Since 2022, it is reported that the Security Service of Ukraine has conducted 41,000 investigations into Ukrainian Orthodox Church priests over alleged cooperation with Russia, and searched 350 church buildings.
Since February 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine has opened 80 criminal cases against Ukrainian Orthodox Church clergy and bishops under treason articles titled, Aiding the aggressor country , Inciting religious hatred. Thirty-seven clergy have been charged, of whom 23 have received court sentences. Several arrested and convicted priests have been exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war and handed over to Russia. A bit of some interesting facts about Ukraine’s links to Russia. 34% of the population speaks Russian in their personal lives, and 16% of Ukrainians identify Russian as their mother tongue. On 13 July 2023, the Kyiv City Council prohibited the usage of Russian language cultural product in the city of Kyiv. This includes performance of all Russian language products including books, music, and films, in public.
Written By Hillary Panashe