Security Service searches Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate premises in three more oblasts
The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting searches on the premises of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in Cherkasy, Volyn and Kherson oblasts.
Source: press office of the Security Service of Ukraine
Details: In particular, the Security Service of Ukraine is checking the following churches:
- Holy Cross Monastery in Chartoryisk in the Volyn Diocese of the UOC-MP;
- St Nicholas’ Monastery in Myltsi in the Volodymyr-Volynskyi Diocese of the UOC-MP;
- Dormition Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (city of Kherson);
- Administration of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC;
- St Michael’s Cathedral (city of Cherkasy);
- A sunday school and a library of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC (city of Cherkasy);
- Administration of the Uman-Zvenyhorod Diocese (city of Uman);
- St George’s Monastery (Uman district);
- Church of Andrew the Apostle (city of Cherkasy);
- Holy Trinity Motroninsky Monastery (Cherkasy district);
- Holy Protection Krasnohirskyi Monastery (Zolotonosha district);
- Religious community of The Parish of St Sophronius, bishop of Irkutsk (Cherkasy city);
- Dormition Cathedral in Kaniv (Cherkasy district)
The Security Service of Ukraine has reported that the searches are being conducted together with the National Police and the National Guard of Ukraine in order to make it impossible to use religious communities as a centre of "russian world" and save the population from provocations and terrorist attacks.
The press service has pointed out that law enforcement agencies operate strictly within the current legislation. They also respect the right for freedom of choice of religion and worldview.
Background:
- On 1 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to propose that the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) institute a ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC-MP], and also initiated a review of the legality of the UOC-MP’s presence at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves).
- During these past weeks, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted a series of searches on the premises of UOC-MP. It is connected to the glorification of the so-called "russian world" ideology in UOC-MP churches. Some priests received notices of suspicion.
- In particular, the searches were conducted in Zhytomyr, Rivne, Zakarpattia and other oblasts.
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