THE rivalry between Orthodox Churches in Ukraine has deepened after violence broke out in a cathedral in the south-western city of Chernivtsi, in the Bukovina region, on Tuesday.
A group of young men, whom the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) says are supporters of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), attempted to take over the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, clashing with believers and supporters who are loyal to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has historically been tied to Moscow.
The brawl resulted in several injuries, including those of clergy from the UOC. More than 30 individuals have requested medical intervention. Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovina (UOC) was also attacked with tear gas.
The situation escalated when priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine planned to hold a service in the Ukrainian language for the first time that day. The violent takeover by OCU supporters faced fierce opposition from rival UOC supporters, whose supporters managed to enter the premises and ultimately expel the group from the church.
OCU’s regional press service said that, since February, when the decision was made to transfer several parishes in the region, including the Holy Spirit Cathedral, from the UOC to the autocephalous OCU, supporters of the UOC have been holding round-the-clock prayers in the church.
The UOC has called the February decision “unlawful”.
The rights of the UOC have become a point of negotiation between Russia and Ukraine, as President Putin views the Ukrainian state’s scrutiny of the UOC as persecution and a part of the “root causes” of the conflict.
The lifting of all restrictions on the UOC has become an official demand in Russia’s “peace memorandum” tabled at the beginning of June, which lists Putin’s conditions for a ceasefire.
President Zelensky rejected the proposal, describing it as “an ultimatum crafted to ensure Ukraine could never comply,” and criticising President Putin’s persistence regarding the UOC.
“Faith is a matter of personal choice. It’s freedom. Yet Putin stands under the church bell and dictates how one should cross oneself,” President Zelensky said in an interview with a US broadcaster, reported by the online news website Ukrainska Pravda.
“A person can choose to attend a church, mosque, synagogue, or elsewhere. It’s the people’s choice. And he demands respect for the Russian Church. On what grounds? This isn’t even a state matter — it’s a Church matter.”
The prospect of a ceasefire remains distant as Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight on Tuesday killed 15 and injured more than 150. The head of the OCU, Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko), urged the West to act against the Kremlin and help to stop its attempts to destroy Ukraine.