Archpriest Rostislav Korchak, Rector of the Intercession Church in the village of Bobritsa, Kyiv Region, spoke about attempts to “transfer” the church to the schismatics. According to the priest, on June 5, 2022, supporters of the OCU came to the Church of the Intercession and brought about 250 extras playing the role of Orthodox. The priest said that, in addition to Dumenko’s supporters, “Orthodox Buddhists” and Uniates came to the meeting, who declared themselves: “Greek Catholics against the” Moscow Church “”, writes the UOJ.

“In general, the question of the confessional affiliation of these people was resolved quite simply – those present were simply asked: “Are you Orthodox?”, And the crowd shouted “Yes!” in unison. The question of whether they attend the local temple, ie. whether they are his parishioners, I didn’t even get up,” Father Rostislav noted and added that he had never seen so many “parishioners” in his church.

The priest explained that he did not want to go to this meeting, so as not to legitimize it with his presence, but nevertheless decided to show the participants of this “veche” documents confirming the new status of the UOC after the Local Council on May 27, 2022 and proving that the Church is completely independent and independent. He told the audience that their meeting does not make sense, because there is no “Moscow church” in Ukraine. “I explained it and immediately left,” added the Reverend.

According to the rector, the local authorities verbally do not support the violent seizure of churches, but in a personal conversation they “strongly recommend” priests to move to the OCU, “to find ways to break with Moscow.” Based on these recommendations, the deputies hold meetings and, under the guise of parishioners, transfer the churches of the UOC to the OCU. In the Belogorodsky village council, whose administrative boundaries include Bobritsa, a coalition of deputies has formed, headed by the “priest” of the OCU, which incites religious hatred and slanders the parishioners of the UOC church.

To “warm up” public opinion, deputies use manipulative techniques, the clergyman noted. “They form the question like this: are you for the Moscow Patriarchate or for the OCU? And they get the desired result. And the correct question is: are you for the UOC or for the OCU?”

Father Rostislav spoke about how in the Buchansky district of the Kyiv region the churches of the UOC were forcibly transferred to the OCU: in Gorenichi, for example, schismatics staged a brawl near the temple. “They closed the mouth of a parishioner who tried to reason with the raiders, tore out the microphone – and now it is believed that the church voluntarily transferred to the OCU,” the priest said. “And in the village of Luka, at a fictitious “community meeting,” they tried to take away the church of St. Nicholas, but the rector, Father Vladimir, did not give the keys, now he is being threatened.”

At present, the threat of the capture of the Church of the Intercession in Bobritsa has not disappeared, it has only moved away, the archpriest emphasized.