In Pereyaslav, Witcher prevents parishioners from entering church on feast
Vidmak (Witcher) (right) did not allow the UOC Trinity community into their church. Photo: UOJ
On June 3 and 4, 2023, on Holy Trinity Saturday and Pentecost, more than a hundred parishioners of the Trinity community of Pereyaslav had to pray in a private house of the priest. OCU representatives put their locks on their church and had men with machine guns "guarding" it. The process is led by an OCU chaplain from Transcarpathia named Vidmak (Witcher), "hieromonk" Sofroniy (a.k.a. Anatoly Bortnichuk). He was put in charge of the area by Dumenko.
Men in uniform put locks and chains on the gates of the church. Elderly parishioners had to climb over the fence to get to the service. The gunned men pointed and laughed loudly at them.
The worshippers took the gate off its hinges and entered the territory to hold services at the rector's house. But the temple itself remained closed. Vidmak of the OCU warned the parishioners: "If you tear down my locks on my temple, you will get five years in prison.”
Vidmak also said that the situation for the UOC community would worsen starting from Tuesday.
As reported, people in camouflage sawed down the locks of two UOC churches in Pereyaslav.
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