UOC community in Kremenchuk barred from its church due to “sanitation day”
Police and unidentified individuals locked the gates of Holy Trinity Church in Kremenchuk despite public assurances that believers would be allowed to hold services there. This was reported on the Facebook page of the Holy Trinity Church community.
Before the service began, the faithful held a cross procession and entered the church courtyard without obstruction to begin their prayers. However, immediately after the Liturgy, the believers held another procession around the church and discovered that unidentified individuals had padlocked all the gates.
Police officers were present on the church grounds. They ignored the believers’ appeals, refused to open the gates, and did not even approach the community. Instead, one of those present announced to the parishioners that a “sanitation day” was beginning.
The faithful demanded an explanation as to why access to the church had been blocked, since Feodosiy, the OCU “rector” of the church, had previously urged the community to come, pray, and hold services there.
“Why are the doors open to some people?” the believers asked. “Why have the gates once again been locked to those who prayed in this church for years?”
Later, parishioners saw police officers and an unidentified man selectively allowing some people to leave the grounds while letting others in.
“We are not asking for anything more than what is ours,” the parishioners said. “Our goal is to pray at our holy place, hold services and cross processions, just as our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers did.”
As the UOJ previously reported, OCU representatives attempted to disrupt a service held by the UOC community by calling the TRC.
