Armed men taking inventory of UOC-KP churches in Crimea

(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.

Comments

  1. CJMarch 19, 2014 at 2:11 PM

    How utterly shameful and scandalous.

    ReplyDelete
  2. John (Ad Orientem)March 19, 2014 at 2:29 PM

    The self styled Kievyn Patriarchate is indeed schismatic. But this is just plain thuggery. Shame on those participating in such acts!

    ANAXIOS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nicholas SandoukasMarch 19, 2014 at 3:05 PM

      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.

      Delete
  3. Archimandrite GregoryMarch 19, 2014 at 3:27 PM

    Perhaps 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abbot TheodoreMarch 19, 2014 at 4:38 PM

      Yes, taking this with a grain of salt is probably a good idea.

      If 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. :-((

      Delete
  4. Ochlophobist March 19, 2014 at 5:58 PM

    Death to the infidels!!!

    [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.]

    ReplyDelete
  5. Isa AlmisryMarch 19, 2014 at 6:00 PM

    What was a "KP" parish doing on a Ukrainian military base?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alex UramMarch 19, 2014 at 6:26 PM

    Think 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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. fdeunhaMarch 20, 2014 at 4:05 AM

      OK, so thinking logically, the MP will pay for the Church, if the KP agrees in selling it.

      Delete
    2. Alex UramMarch 20, 2014 at 11:54 AM

      Missing the point entirely. And showing a lack of understanding of a military base :(

      Delete
  7. Fr. YousufMarch 19, 2014 at 6:33 PM

    It is helpful to not react to one report. Or to react without re-reading reports several times.

    http://news.church.ua/2014/03/19/press-sluzhba-simferopolskoj-i-krymskoj-eparxii-oprovergaet-informaciyu-o-inventarizacii-imushhestva-prinadlezhashhego-predstavitelyam-kievskogo-patriarxata/

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownMarch 19, 2014 at 11:53 PM



    I 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.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JesseMarch 20, 2014 at 9:51 AM

    http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3609026.html

    ReplyDelete

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