Crimea. Russian occupiers began persecuting Christians

May 1, 2014 · Adam Bondaruk, Baptists, Victor Belykh, AUCECB, Persecution, Interview, KGB, Books, Unregistered Pentecostals, Nikolay Kotyakov, On Emigration, United Church of Evangelical Christians, Vestibule, Petr Saenko, Pentecostals, Religious Mafia, Slavik Radchuk, Contemporary Persecution, Security Services

Having occupied Crimea, the Russian aggressors began persecuting not only Muslims but also Christians.

According to media reports, the Russian occupiers have started persecuting Orthodox Christians of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP). The priest-hunters from Putin’s Russian Orthodox Church—which the last First Hierarch of the united anti-Moscow Russian Church Abroad, Vladyka Vitaliy, called the Church of Satan and Antichrist, and the penultimate one, Vladyka Filaret, declared to be devoid of grace—are seizing churches from Christians and exerting moral pressure.

The Crimean Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate is reporting infringement on its believers in Crimea and Sevastopol.

A corresponding statement by Archbishop Kliment (Kust) of Simferopol and Crimea appeared on April 26 on the official website of the UOC-KP.

“In Sevastopol, the Church of the Holy Martyr Clement of Rome on the territory of the Ukrainian Navy Training Unit has been effectively seized from the Kyivan Patriarchate. Russian soldiers who are on guard are not allowing the rector of the church, Archimandrite Makariy (Shchipakov), an ethnic Russian and former navy serviceman, and his parishioners to enter,” the UOC-KP notes.

According to the archbishop, all attempts by the administrator of the Crimean Diocese to meet with representatives of the current city occupation authority of Sevastopol on this and other matters have been in vain.

“The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God in the village of Perevalne has been effectively seized from the Kyivan Patriarchate. Representatives of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate are exerting psychological pressure on the rector, Archpriest Ioann Katkala, and the local faithful of the UOC-KP,” Kliment stressed.

This is despite the fact that earlier the Russian invaders assured the clergy that they would not encroach on the churches of the UOC-KP and even signed a document ordering all state authorities of Crimea to resolutely counter attempts to seize property and obstruct the activities of the UOC-KP churches.

In connection with this, Archbishop Kliment, on behalf of the Crimean Diocese of the UOC-KP, appealed to the adept of the Church of Satan and Antichrist, Putin, demanding that equal rights be ensured for Ukrainians—the faithful of the Kyivan Patriarchate in Crimea—for the free exercise of prayer and church life, and the free confession of the Orthodox faith and national-cultural traditions.

“We demand that Russia and the authorities of Crimea fulfill their obligations, including international ones. We demand an end to the oppression of Orthodox Ukrainians of Crimea and the return to the communities of the seized or blocked churches,” stated the head of the Crimean Diocese of the UOC-KP.

The appeal also contains a call to international organizations and the international community, to inter-church and international religious organizations to stand up for the faithful Orthodox Christians of Crimea.

“Be peacemakers and defend the oppressed and the offended. Demand explanations from the Russian authorities and an end to the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate in Crimea,” stated Archbishop Kliment.

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