On July 26, 2020, in Novozhivotovo, Vinnitsa region, OCU activists attempted to seize the UOC temple in honor of the Intercession of the Mother of God. The UOJ was informed about this by witnesses of the incident.

According to them, representatives of the OCU first crowded on the stairs of the temple and tried to break the locks and get inside.

The schismatics cut off the locks on the veranda with a grinder, and later entered the temple.

“The rector of the church and 50-60 parishioners of the UOC began to serve akathist and liturgy. Supporters of the OCU came to the courtyard of the temple and set up a tent right in front of the believers and began to pray. The police arrived. Before the Sacrament of Communion, activists of the schismatic structure rushed to the door and entered the church. The police stood on the side, looked and did nothing, ”said Archpriest Dmitry Tsmokalo, Dean of the Oratovsky District of the Vinnytsia Region.

The priest noted that the police let the representatives of the OCU into the temple, but did not let the believers of the UOC there, who wanted to photograph what was happening.

According to Archpriest Dmitry, the parishioners of the canonical Church for a long time observed the agreements and did not enter the territory of the temple, however, representatives of the schismatics twice violated the agreement

Believers of the canonical Church pray in the street, representatives of the regional police and a lawyer are going to the church. Representatives of the schismatic religious organization closed the temple of the canonical Church with their locks and dispersed.

According to the channel «Pershy Kozatskiy», the supporters of the OCU made the first attempt to seize the church in Novozhivotovo on the evening of July 25, but then they failed to capture the church or provoke its parishioners into conflict.

The abbot and believers of the UOC wrote statements to the police about the illegal actions of representatives of the schismatic church structure and about the inaction of law enforcement agencies.

Source: UOJ