An attempt made to seize the Church of the Holy Protection, Musorivtsi village, Zbarazh district of Ternopil region
Report of Archbishop Serhiy of Ternopil and Kremenets to His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr
On the attempts of the adherents of the UOC-KP to seize the Church of the Holy Protection in the village of Musorivtsi, Zbarazh district of Ternopil region
HIS BEATITUDE VOLODYMYR,
THE MOST BLESSED METROPOLITAN OF KYIV AND ALL UKRAINE,
THE PRIMATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
16.11.2009, №835
Your Beatitude!
On October 14, 2009 we addressed You with a request, stating that, following the registration of the Statute of the newly set community of the UOC-KP by the Regional State Administration of Ternopil, the unwarranted seizure of the newly built Holy Protection Church in the village of Musorivtsi, Zbarazh region, by the newly set community of the UOC-KP is impending, though this community has no property rights for the given religious building.
By the present only one religious community of the UOC has been active there. The UOC faithful have built this church at their own expense and consecrated it, having all the necessary construction documents for that.
As it was planned, on November 15, 2009, a group of laity and clergymen led by the UOC-KP priest Anatoly Zinkevych arrived and made an attempt to seize the Church of the Holy Protection. They failed to break into the church, since our people had remained in the church after the liturgical service for discussion and peaceful solution of the problem evolving. For some time, facing the main force attack by themselves, our people had not let the intruders enter the doorway. Among our believers many suffered physical, moral and financial harm. The militia stood aside until the attacking stated to beat our people, and only then it blocked the doors and barred the UOC-KP adherents. Thereafter Fr. Zynkevych addressed the people in the church yard with a sermon, in which he called the people to take the steel bars and to break the church doors and to seize the church, offended the feelings of the orthodox people, insulted our clergy and parishioners.
All that took place in the presence of the authority representatives, who acted as observers. The chairman and the workers of the village council supported the intruders.
I humbly ask for the holy prayers of Your Beatitude.
Humble servant of Your Beatitude,
†Serhiy,
Archbishop of Ternopil and Kremenets
