Cherkasy. City Authorities Helped Seize a UOC Church

Church of the Presentation of the Lord (UOC)

Address: Cherkasy, 168/1 V. Chornovola St.

The Presentation of the Lord Church of the UOC in Cherkasy became one of the first churches seized by OCU raiders in the city.

The falsification of the church's documents was carried out with the direct complicity of city Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko and representatives of the local authorities. Public-sector employees were assembled for an illegal meeting of the territorial community and forced to impersonate the church's religious community and vote for the transfer of the church to the OCU.

Having falsified the documents, the raiders invaded the church premises and seized all the buildings.

🔴On June 28, 2023, information emerged about plans by a group of OCU raiders in Cherkasy to hold a meeting of city residents in order to transfer the Presentation of the Lord Hierarchical Metochion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to their organization.

This was reported by the metochion's superior, Archpriest Yevheniy Burkatskyy, in a video address published by the press service of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC.

Father Yevheniy recounted that he had received many phone calls and messages from parishioners employed in public-sector organizations, saying they were being threatened with dismissal and forced to come with their passports to Khimikiv Park and vote for a change of the community's jurisdiction. Even representatives of other Christian denominations were being gathered for this vote.

The priest showed an announcement published in the newspaper Cherkaskyy Kray, in which the OCU supporters' event was described as a "parish assembly of the religious community of the UOC Presentation Parish."

"Our religious community has not planned and does not plan any transition," the superior emphasized. "Everything that our opponents are trying to do today with regard to the Presentation of the Lord Church does not correspond to reality."

The diocese's press service published a fragment of a video recording of the actual parish assembly of the Presentation of the Lord community, at which parishioners unanimously voted to remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On June 29, 2023, at a stadium in Cherkasy's Khimikiv Park, a group of OCU raiders, with the support of local authorities, held a meeting of city residents at which they voted to transfer the Presentation of the Lord Hierarchical Metochion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to their organization.

This was reported by the metochion's superior, Archpriest Yevheniy Burkatskyy, in a video address.

He recounted that the organizers called the stadium event an "assembly of the religious community of the UOC Presentation Parish," even though the community itself was at that time praying at a church service in their own church.

Father Yevheniy recalled that the parishioners of the hierarchical metochion had held their assembly on June 28 "not at a stadium, but in God's church," and had affirmed their membership in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy.

The priest noted that some media outlets were spreading false information, claiming that the Presentation community had allegedly transferred to the OCU. He reminded journalists of the words of Holy Scripture: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight" (Prov. 12:22).

"Understand that a religious community and a city community are different communities," the superior said. "A city community can include Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and even atheists. A religious community is those people who attend their church every Sunday, participate in its construction, repairs, payment of utility bills, landscaping, charitable work, and so on. Belonging to a religious community is not about blessing an Easter cake or water once a year — it is, above all, constant spiritual effort."

Father Yevheniy addressed Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko, who had participated in the stadium assembly:

"You have dined with us at the same table many times, participated in our joint projects, and asked for prayers and blessings before elections. We understand that political circumstances compel you to stand in opposition to our canonical Church, but God awaits every soul."

Furthermore, the clergyman recounted that public-sector workers had been gathered for the vote to "transfer" the church to the OCU and forced to vote under threat of dismissal.

Father Yevheniy added that even his relatives, who work at a kindergarten, were threatened and forced to vote.

The priest stated that Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko is prepared to wage war on the Church — like Khrushchev — until "the last priest," as long as the public does not pay attention to his corrupt dealings.

The rector of the church also addressed the mayor and the Department of Social Policy of the Cherkasy City Council, who want to evict him and his seven children from the church house.

"Every action has a butterfly effect — before doing something, one must think about what wounds it will inflict on my soul," the priest noted.

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On August 3, 2023, OCU raiders seized the Presentation of the Lord Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Cherkasy.

This was reported by Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv in a video address.

The hierarch recounted that activists, as a "frenzied mob with the support of security forces, broke into the Presentation Church, seized it by force, broke the locks, and threw the long-serving rector and his seven children out of the parish house onto the street."

(Source: UOJ)

🔴On August 8, 2023, Cherkasy Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko, in a video address published on his Facebook page, declared that he would lead a campaign to destroy the UOC in the city.

According to him, many people ask "why the city authorities are slow to transfer our churches to the jurisdiction of our state, to the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian faith."

Bondarenko said he had watched the address by Presentation Church rector Yevheniy Burkatskyy, in which the priest accused him of organizing a fake transfer assembly using public-sector workers. The mayor did not refute the priest's words in any way, but stated that he "had often met with the late Bishop Sofroniy" and expressed confidence that "if Bishop Sofroniy were here, the Church would have transferred long ago — the entire diocese would have transferred."

According to Bondarenko, "our task today is to help the community do this."

"They (the UOC — Ed.) are engaged in trying to preserve their so-called parishes. I address Mr. Burkatskyy personally. The 'Perlyna' Battalion will cleanse your Muscovite filth from the city of Cherkasy to the last. And you know — I stood aside from this issue. But from today I am taking it upon myself to lead this effort against you — against the Muscovite agents who have entrenched themselves here and, hiding behind cassocks, collect money from our citizens," Bondarenko declared.

"Be prepared — there will be no Muscovite priests in Cherkasy; in Cherkasy, prayers will be said in the Ukrainian language," Bondarenko concluded his speech.

(Source: UOJ)