Radicals Deploy Tear Gas, Injure Priest During Violent Seizure of UOC Ivano-Frankovsk Parish. OCU Schismatics Pray After the Parish was Captured by Violent Extremists.
Schismatics broke into a UOC parish in Ivano-Frankovsk, using tear gas to forcibly capture the church after injuring at least one UOC priest.
On March 29, 2023, a group of violent radicals and schismatics converged upon a Ukrianian Orthodox Church parish in Ivano-Frankovsk. The group broke inside the parish, deployed tear gas, and cheered after attacking Ukrianian Orthodox Christain parishioners and clergy. After the violent seizure, schismatics of the OCU prayed inside the desecrated temple.
Witnesses shared videos of the violent attack:
A witness recorded Ft. Visily after he was injured during the attack:
News of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the UOC shared the following ominous warning to those waging war on the Body of Christ and God:
Bishop Nikita led his flock from the assault and a UOC Diocese reports he is alive.
The Union of Orthodox Journals provided additional details of the attack:
After the UOC Ivano-Frankovsk was violently seized, members of the schismatic OCU (supported by Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople) prayed inside the desecrated temple:
“The head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the UOC, Metropolitan Kliment (Vecherya), commented on the situation around the capture of the Ivano-Frankivsk Cathedral:”
Religious enmity, such as commiting crimes against individuals because of their religion, is a crime in Ukraine.
The United Nations has a webpage explaining Article 161, including a sample criminal complaint:
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