Fourth Attempt of Seizure of Newly Built Holy Protection Church in Musorivtsi Made By UOC-KP Representatives
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Report of Archbishop Serhiy of Ternopil and Kremenets to His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr
HIS BEATITUDE
THE MOST BLESSED VOLODYMYR,
METROPOLITAN OF KYIV AND ALL UKRAINE,
PRIMATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
30.11.2009 №354
Your Beatitude!
On November 29, 2009 the fourth attempt of seizure of the newly-built Holy Protection Church was made in the village of Musorivtsi, Zbarazh district of Ternopil region.
The church was built at the expense of our religious community of the UOC and consecrated by us.
Thus, at 17.00 that day the chairman of the village council Harmatiuk I.A. in his own person broke the locks on the entrance door with a hammer in order to provide opportunities for the forced seizure of the church by the clergy and laymen of the Kyivan Patriarchate, who created the new religious community not earlier than on October 30, 2009. By their illegal actions chairman Harmatiuk caused material damage to the church amounting to 3000 Hrn.
The representatives of the authorities stood aside all that time and militia troops “Berkut” employed power methods to our faithful, pushed them away from the doors of our church, enabling the UOC-KP intruders to break into the church. The people who were inside did not let them in. The civil order was not enforced by militia.
The actions of the representatives of the UOC-KP and militia testify to the fact they do not want peace and unification in the church and the state. They intend to breakup peaceful negotiations held between the ecclesial authorities of the UOC and the UOC-KP.
In this connection, I humbly ask Your Beatitude for your first hierarch’s prayers.
Humble servant of Your Beatitude,
† Serhiy,
Archbishop of Ternopil and Kremenets
