Metropolitan Theodosiy: Chekrasy authorities preparing crime against UOC
The bishop urged government authorities to prevent violations of the law that could lead to bloody consequences.
The Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kaniv of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially addressed the authorities of the Cherkasy region with a warning about a planned crime against the churches and believers of the UOC.
The hierarch urged state bodies to prevent a violation of the law that could lead to bloody consequences.
In an official statement addressed to the head of the Cherkasy Regional Military Administration, Ihor Taburets, the head of the Main Department of the National Police in the Cherkasy Region, Yaroslav Holynskyi, the head of the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office, Oleksandr Voronin, and other officials, the metropolitan expressed deep concern regarding the actions of the Cherkasy City Council and representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
The hierarch reported that on April 9, the Cherkasy City Council, at an extraordinary session, made a decision to terminate the right of permanent use of three land plots belonging to the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC.
At the same time, as the metropolitan emphasizes, "none of the legally stipulated grounds for terminating the right of permanent use of the land plots of the Cherkasy Eparchy is unequivocally absent."
The hierarch reminded that the withdrawal of land is only possible with the consent of the land user or through judicial proceedings, and stressed that "the Cherkasy Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has not given and will not give voluntary consent to the withdrawal of these land plots from its use."
The metropolitan reminded the officials that there is no court decision on the withdrawal of the plots, and any attempts at a forcible seizure of churches will constitute a criminal offense:
"Any attempts at the violent seizure of these land plots, or even more so of the church buildings on them, will be considered an open criminal offense with all legal consequences."
He also noted, "Criminal consequences are bound to be imposed on the organizers and perpetrators of such an offence, as well as on officials who failed to prevent the offence."
The hierarch reminded the authorities that "if someone thinks that the war will absolve everything, they are very mistaken." Because "the war will end, and very soon the time will come to answer for the crimes committed during the state of war."
Particular concern is raised by the behavior and statements of OCU representatives. The metropolitan cited the head of the OCU in the Cherkasy region, Oleh (Ivan) Yaremenko, who stated: "In any case, it will not work out peacefully, because this part of the Moscow Patriarchate is zombified, that, say, how we are beaten here, what martyrs we are, persecution of the church."
Yaremenko also stated that "only a forceful solution to this situation is possible, when parishioners will simply enter these churches en masse and ask those who are there illegally to leave."
These statements were interpreted by Metropolitan Theodosiy as an open acknowledgment of the intention to use violence against the UOC believers.
In his address, the metropolitan reminded of the tragic events in Cherkasy: "We have already seen successful and unsuccessful attempts at the illegal forcible seizure of temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Cherkasy."
He mentioned the seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Nunnery, where believers and monks were harmed: "Then people were beaten, elderly monks were crippled. And this happened with the criminal assistance of law enforcement agencies."
The Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kaniv urgently called on all state bodies to fulfill their duties: "I urge you to prevent the commission of a criminal offense in the city, during which not only the rights of citizens of Ukraine, faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, will be violated, but also Orthodox Cherkasy residents may be injured and maimed."
He recalled that the Constitution of Ukraine, the laws on freedom of religion, local state administrations, the defence of Ukraine, and the laws of the National Police directly obligate to protect the rights of citizens, their religion, and private property.
The metropolitan separately highlighted that "the laws of Ukraine prohibit the deprivation of property rights without legal grounds. The right to private property is inviolable under Article 41 of the Constitution."
In conclusion of his address, the metropolitan called on officials to "observe the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, to be faithful to the oath to the Ukrainian people, and not to imaginary political expediency."
"We urge you to realize your responsibility before God and before the historical Church of your people," he emphasized.
"Yes, a crime is being prepared. But you, the authorities, currently have all the power levers and opportunities to prevent a new act of religious terrorism in the city," Metropolitan Theodosiy concluded.
Earlier, subscribers of SPZH showed how church raiders seized the cathedral in Cherkasy.
