(Moscow Times) - Priests from the Moscow-based Orthodox Church accompanied by armed men have threatened to seize property belonging to a rival church denomination in the Crimea after the peninsula completes its accession to Russia, a Ukrainian prelate said.
In one recent case, a Moscow Patriarchate priest from the Black Sea port of Sevastopol arrived at the Crimean village of Perevalnoye with an entourage of armed men and demanded to see documentation of property belonging to the Kiev Patriarchate there, Crimea's Archbishop Kliment told Ukraine's Channel 5 television.
The men "started to take inventory of our property and warned that as soon as Ukrainian servicemen leave Perevalnoye, the church on the territory of the military base will belong to the Moscow patriarchate," he said.
Ukraine has two separate Ukrainian Orthodox churches — that of the Moscow Patriarchate, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow, and that of the Kiev Patriarchate, which was established in 1992 following a schism with the Russian leaders.
There is also the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which the other canonical Orthodox churches refuse to recognize.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Armed men taking inventory of UOC-KP churches in Crimea
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How utterly shameful and scandalous.
ReplyDeleteThe self styled Kievyn Patriarchate is indeed schismatic. But this is just plain thuggery. Shame on those participating in such acts!
ReplyDeleteANAXIOS!
If this is true, I agree it is shameful, but considering the source of this "news" I am a bit skeptically as to whether these events happened.
DeletePerhaps we are overlooking the fact that the church in question is on a military installation, which is now no longer in Ukrainian but in Russian hands. I too would like to see more information than what comes Kyevan representative.
ReplyDeleteYes, taking this with a grain of salt is probably a good idea.
DeleteIf true, the church being part of a military installation does make a difference. Let the military deal with it and let the Russian clergy stay clear until the dust settles: sometimes, it seems that we Orthodox just can't pass up a good opportunity to look bad. :-((
Death to the infidels!!!
ReplyDelete[Not sure which side is the infidel side in this case, but whomever it is I hope they ALL CAPS DIE!!!!, because, like, middle class Americans getting invested and taking sides in Balkan entho-religious conflicts makes perfect sense, in that it allows for both self-righteous dogmatic offense taking and a the-mess-is-thousands-of-miles-away safe entertainment.]
What was a "KP" parish doing on a Ukrainian military base?
ReplyDeletePeeling potatoes, of course
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThink about it logically. If the church is on a military base, and the base changes hands from Ukrainian personnel (some of whom may be part of the Kiev Patriarchate) to Russian Personnel (whom will be canonical a Russian orthodox Christians) why would the church remain in the hands of the Kiev Patriarchate (a schismatic) group but would not have anyone to administer to? This article is very suspicious. The armed men didn't storm anything. The men are armed because they are either Military or authorized Crimean self defense units. Be wary of stories like these!
ReplyDeleteOK, so thinking logically, the MP will pay for the Church, if the KP agrees in selling it.
DeleteMissing the point entirely. And showing a lack of understanding of a military base :(
DeleteIt is helpful to not react to one report. Or to react without re-reading reports several times.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.church.ua/2014/03/19/press-sluzhba-simferopolskoj-i-krymskoj-eparxii-oprovergaet-informaciyu-o-inventarizacii-imushhestva-prinadlezhashhego-predstavitelyam-kievskogo-patriarxata/
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is more scandalous: that false reports like this are uncritically accepted in the West because they make the Russians look bad, or that American Orthodox seem in general willing to believe the worst possible interpretation of the actions of canonical Orthodox in Ukraine and Russia.
Good point!
Deletehttp://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3609026.html
ReplyDelete