Sumy authorities hooked into organization of KP procession in Kiev, – UOC

“Religious procession” of the UOC-KP in Kiev in 2017

The authorities of the city of Sumy are collecting people to participate in the "cross procession", which the UOC KP plans to hold in Kiev. This was reported by Archbishop Eulogiy (Gutchenko) of Sumy and Akhtyrka on his Facebook page.

"Upon the instruction" from “above”, Sumy Regional Administration is engaged in the organization of vehicles and the delivery of people to Kiev to the so-called cross procession of the so-called UOC KP," said the Bishop. "Instructions are given to the heads of the districts, village and village councils to organize people for this event."

In comments to the message, users of the social network reported this is also the case in other cities of Ukraine.

Earlier, the priest of the UOC Gennady Shkil wrote on his Facebook page that Kherson administration organizes free trips to the events organized by the UOC KP in Kiev.

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol said that civil servants force believers to attend the events of the Kyiv Patriarchate, which will be held in the capital in honor of the Baptism of Rus. An expert on religion in Ukraine, Alexander Yermolenko commented on this information saying that the administrative resource had been involved throughout Ukraine, because the authorities are faced up with the task of "ensuring the numerical strength of the procession of supporters of the UOC KP."

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.