Video of a folk nativity scene on the solea of UGCC temple goes viral on the Web

UGCC believers “rock the devil” during a Christmas performance. Photo: video screenshot from Victoria Kokhanovska's Facebook page

During the crib performance, which was shown in the temple of the UGCC in the village of Zarvanytsia, Ternopil region, the artists “rocked the devil” – a character personifying evil spirits. The video, which went viral on the Internet, was published on her Facebook page by human rights activist Viktoria Kokhanovska.

The artists demonstrated the nativity scene on the pulpit, standing with their backs to the altar; musical instruments, such as an accordion and a tambourine, were also used in the performance.

The parishioners of the UGCC temple enthusiastically filmed the scene on video.

Believers of the UOC called such a performance blasphemy and sacrilege.

“In the church, one needs to pray for peace in our Ukraine, for the health of your relatives, but what is happening here is a shame,” writes Facebook user Aliona Nagorodnaya.

“People, come to your senses, this is the house of God, and you turned it into a theater, the Spirit of God should be there, but you sing and dance to Satan. I want to cry, not laugh. Have mercy on them, Lord, for they do not know what they are doing,” wrote Ekaterina Gerasimenko.

As the UOJ reported, such a performance is commonplace in the UGCC: last Christmas, several Uniate churches in Ukraine hosted nativity scenes of anti-Semitic character.

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