Cherkasy mayor calls on SBU for tougher actions against the UOC
Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko. Photo: Screenshot from VIKKA video
Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko, during a broadcast on the VIKKA TV channel, continued to incite hatred toward the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The official stated that the state and security services are not doing enough and should act more harshly against the priests and believers of the UOC.
He mentioned his personal participation in territorial community meetings regarding so-called "transfers" of UOC parishes to the OCU and expressed his belief that "the state must act more decisively in this direction."
"I am convinced that a large number of UOC-MP priests are agents of Russia’s FSB," he assured.
Bondarenko further claimed that in occupied territories, local residents allegedly receive instructions not from city halls or administrations, but from churches. He also stated that Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol allegedly attended the Kremlin during the "voting for new regions – Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts."
"My question is – perhaps law enforcement agencies have been negligent? I call on law enforcement agencies to take harsher measures against FSB agents. Let me tell you, three years into the full-scale war, no other covert KGB or FSB network feels as free and unrestrained as the UOC-MP does in any country," he concluded.
As the UOJ reported earlier, Metropolitan Theodosiy excommunicated the Cherkasy mayor from the Church due to his involvement in the "bandit-like" seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the UOC.
Read also
Petition Warns Canada’s Hate Speech Law Could Criminalize Scripture
Thousands of Canadians have signed a petition urging the Liberal government to drop proposed hate-speech changes that critics warn could criminalize quoting the Bible and other religious texts.
JD Vance: Criticizing Israel Is Not Antisemitism
Vice President JD Vance said opposing Israeli policies is not the same as antisemitism, sparking debate over where criticism of Israel ends and hatred of Jews begins.
First Orthodox Prayer Book Published in Indonesian Language
The first Orthodox prayer book in Indonesian has been published and presented in Bekasi, providing local faithful and new converts with a vital resource for prayer and liturgical life.
OCA Joins Legal Challenge to Illinois Abortion Referral Law
Amicus brief argues mandate violates religious freedom and compels pro-life providers to contradict their faith.
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Ukrainian Memo Says Religious Freedom is ‘Achilles Heel’
In an emergency strategy meeting held in response to the Society of St. John's Day of Action, D.C.-based Ukrainian lobbyists acknowledged the weight of the religious freedom issue as it pertains to the Ukrainian government’s public perception.
Historic $2.9 Million Bequest Strengthens Greek Orthodox Foundation
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Foundation has received a record $2.9 million bequest from the late Andy Efthim, a devoted layman whose faith-filled generosity will support the Church’s mission for generations.