In Ivachkiv, OCU members "transfer" UOC believers during liturgy
On July 24, 2022, OCU supporters gathered for the third time at the club in the village of Ivachkiv, Rivne region, to transfer the community of the Nativity-of-the-Mother-of-God parish of the UOC to the OCU, reports the press service of the Rivne Eparchy.
This time the meeting was not announced and was held deliberately on Sunday morning during the liturgy.
"The two previous meetings were scheduled for 4 p.m., announcements were posted, and this time at 11 a.m. Our religious community was at the Sunday service in the church, so obviously the believers could not attend. This was done in order to call it a voluntary transfer," said the rector of the Nativity-of-the-Mother-of-God parish in the village of Ivachkiv, Archpriest Vitaliy Kharkevich.
The eparchy reports that the outcome of today's meeting is not yet known, but it is known for certain that the UOC religious community remains faithful to the canonical Church led by its Primate, His Beatitude Onuphry.
"Today's events in Ivachkiv proved that the OCU supporters have neither spirituality nor a solid foundation of faith. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord spoke of a careless man who built a house on sand, but the house fell down in a violent storm because it had no solid foundation. The OCU, built on deceit and politics, also has no solid foundation," the press secretary of the Rivne Eparchy, Archpriest Vasyl Nachev, commented on the events.
As earlier reported, a case was initiated against the head of the Rivne Regional Council following a complaint by the UOC clergy.
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.