"Spiritual" Journalism: Hit the Bottom - Dig!
When I was preparing an article about an attempt to seize another UOC church, this time in the
Oddly enough, a wave of hostile takeover of Orthodox places of worship bypassed Volyn region somehow. Even last summer and autumn the situation seemed stalemate in Horokhiv district, but the raiders from "patriotic" religious organization managed to grab only one parish in Pechyhvosty, while in Uhryniv, despite the enormous pressure and seizure of the church, local residents managed to maintain and enhance the village community of the UOC. However, the social aspect and the media front are much more interesting.
Thanks to the priest of the UOC-KP Vitaly Sobko, who was elected a deputy in the Volyn regional council of the 2010 convention under the flags of the all-Ukrainian organization of Svoboda (Freedom) after the escape of "regionals", the inter-confessional issues in the region in a loud, but awkward manner went ... to the local self-government, not authorized to address such issues. On June 25, 2015, Volyn regional council made it, so to speak, into history, supporting the author's address of the deputy-priest to the UOC parishioners, earlier approved by
Interestingly, this issue was "promoted" to Lutsk deputes by the former mayor of the regional center Bohdan Shiba, who in 2009, preparing for the visit of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to Volyn, went all out so that for a few days disabled street lights in Lutsk - say, for convenience of patriarch motorcade.
In addition to these councils, "key" players in the arena of Volyn self-government, such an appeal was voted by deputies of three district councils: Horokhiv, Kivertsy and Volodymyr-Volynsk.
The events of recent days have forced to pay attention to what is happening in the perishes of Volodymyr-Volynsk diocese. Unfortunately, it turned out that the property of the community is of interest to other persons. In general, it can be concluded that inevitably approaching of local elections aggravated the painful activity of some political forces, which as it turns out, cannot show their “patriotism” except on religious grounds. Recent activities around
Meanwhile, the newspaper "Volyn New" again interferes in the situation. This paper seems to consider good manners to dent the reputation of people who have not done anything wrong to it. Because it is permitted to "sink" the UOC, isn’t it?
"Gentlemen, you are so easy to deceive!" – I recall the once sensational article by a talented Volyn journalist. Indeed, this is a very simple matter. It is enough to gather in the parish the stack of fantasy, to copy from a regional edition a couple of formulations like "a local rich man agreed to support construction of the church only in case of transition of the community to the Moscow Patriarchate" and crank out another lie about the "Moscow priest", who either refused communion or called the UAF soldier a sinner (respected journalists of the regional newspaper do not want to see a retraction of such nonsense for some reason), or just does not want to give the raiders the church that by all documents, together with the land, belongs to the community of the UOC. Does it mean that the time has come for the weekly portion of black PR against the Church, hasn’t it?
The worst thing is that all this is served with sauce of mythical "union of communities." It is enough to hear once what is said at the meeting where rural communities are supposedly "integrated", and it becomes clear what purpose such publications and "uniting" initiatives actually serve.
Since the autumn of 2014, the village community of Ohnivka has been living quite restlessly. It was clarified that for the seven years passed since the opening of the
Experience in conflict management in rural parishes of western
The situation worsened in the summer. Since the events of 29 July, when villagers decided to raise the national flag on the territory of the church, the media presented distorted facts. It is not true that "supporters of the MP called the police because of it," for a call was made from the church when it wasn’t quite clear what was happening near the church - the flag was not seen yet. I wonder why authors of publications pointed out "anti-Ukrainian" disposition of compatriots, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church followers.
On August 2 the village residents were really not in a playful mood. The service was followed by "peaceful community meeting". It was very noisy: people argued over the fence of the church, trying to persuade in their right the opponents, announced the results of the surveys whether it was true or not that the majority of Ohnivka residents are eager to be "hospitably" embraced by the KP . However, due to the effective actions of the local police, who had been informed about possible clashes, people went homes that day without aggravation of the conflict. However, the initiators of reallocation managed to hold a meeting as a result of which ... a church autocephaly was proclaimed in the village.
Next Sunday, August 9, it was much quieter at the church. But here came a chaplain of the UOC KP Mykola Hinaylo, known among the soldiers of 14 brigade and volunteers accompanying him. He was not allowed into Ohnivka church. By the way, the media haven’t rebutted the fact of him being accused of the misuse of humanitarian aid for ATO soldiers. We would like to hear a rebuttal very much.
What Ohnivka Orthodox community should expect in the nearest future is unknown. Meanwhile, its head proves its legacy and rightness with documents on the UOC ownership of the land and the church, which once the UOC-KP community failed to build. I wish colleagues, who are going to cover the religious issues on the pages of once respected newspapers, would be in a similar situation themselves.
Imagine that armed men, wearing masks, would break into the office of the newspaper "Volyn New" and ordered to clean rooms and give the keys to the premises, because ... just because. Because the newspaper was once called "Soviet Volyn”, and its journalists often mention Putin and Kirill on its pages. Because once the premises belonged to regional committee of the Communist party and the country, do not forget, is undergoing the process of de-communization. Because a journalist, who does his best to help rehabilitation of soldiers of his native Volyn region, had to leave the paper. Or just because someone likes one-hryvnia-per-year rent of several floors in the center of
