OSCE concerned about frequent thefts in UOC churches of Odessa region

Representatives of the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine initiated a meeting with the dean of the Belgorod-Dniester district, Archpriest Rustik Vykhodtsev, during which frequent cases of theft and vandalism in Orthodox churches of the district were discussed, reports the website of the Odessa diocese.

OSCE observers in Odessa Cornelius Nolan and Aram Harutyunyan, as well as assistant of the security department Igor Solovyev, considered the inter-confessional situation that prevailed in the city and the region and discussed issues of cooperation of the Odessa diocese with local authorities and law enforcement agencies.

As reported earlier, there have been five thefts in the churches of the UOC in the Odessa region since the beginning of 2017. Offencers go beyond theft and commit acts of vandalism. No suspect has been arrested so far.

Read also

ROCOR Priest Reflects on Trip to Capitol Hill

Archpriest Victor Boldewskul participated in the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco's Day of Action to raise awareness about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Hundreds of Chinese Christians Arrested in Pre-Christmas Crackdown

Hundreds of Chinese Christians face spending Christmas in detention after authorities launched a sweeping pre-holiday crackdown on churches under Beijing’s campaign to control religious life.

Ukraine Adviser: UOC Not Banned, but Offered a 'Choice' of Jurisdictions

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said the UOC is not banned but pressured to choose between joining the OCU, submitting to Constantinople, or remaining unregistered, while dismissing international concerns as propaganda.

Indiana Reports 98% Drop in Abortions Under Stricter Law

Indiana’s latest health report shows a 98% drop in reported abortions under stricter laws, though dozens still occurred under legal exceptions and concerns persist about unreported pill abortions.

Armenian Apostolic Church Pushes Back on Political Encroachment

The Armenian Apostolic Church plans to appeal to international bodies to resist government interference and defend its clergy and sacred relics.

Attempted Takeover at Armenian Etchmiadzin Cathedral Thwarted by Faithful

Supporters of Armenian PM Pashinyan attempted to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral amid calls for the Catholicos’s resignation but were blocked by parishioners and security.