“Miriane”: UOC believers don’t let OCU raiders enter church in Novozhyvotiv
The believers called the police that found out that the OCU activists had no documents of title to the religious building and did not allow them to enter the church.
On October 17, in the morning, members of the Holy Intercession religious community of the UOC of vlg. Novozhyvotiv of the Tulchin Eparchy, with the support of the Vinnytsia branch of the NGO “Miriane” (“Laity”), did not allow the OCU activists into the church. The latter broke into the temple on the eve of October 16 and refused to leave, reports the press service of the “Miriane” movement.
Archpriest Dmitry Tsmokalo, dean of the Orativ district, called the police that recorded the absence of any documents of title to the religious building with the OCU activists and did not allow them to enter the church.
After that, the believers of the UOC attended the Sunday service, which was served by the rector of the seized church, priest Petro Monastyrsky.
The service was held in a room located at the entrance to the churchyard. In this "catacomb" church, Novozhytiv believers of the UOC have already been praying for three years.
As reported, on the morning of October 14, on the patronal day of the UOC community in Novozhyvotiv, OCU activists and a large number of law enforcers gathered near the village church. The day before, local ATO members announced a gathering on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Novozhyvotiv to "participate in the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Intercession temple of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine" on the occasion of the "Day of Defenders of Ukraine, the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks and Day of the UPA".
After a verbal skirmish and an attempt by activists to break into the temple, the parties reached an agreement: no one would enter the temple. The believers of the UOC were assured of this by law enforcement officers.
