Sarny, the Ukraine, December 22, 2014
On December 19, 2014, the commemoration of repose of St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Klesov village in the Sarny district of the Sarny Diocese was robbed and desecrated. This is already the fourth case of desecration of Polesye shrines in past several days and the seventh such incident in two weeks of December, reports press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC MP).
Also on the same night of December 17/18 three churches were robbed: St. George’s Church of Krutaya Sloboda village of Rokytne district, the Holy Trinity Church of Osnitsk village of the Rokytne district, and the Holy Protection Church of Kurgany village of the Polesye’s Berezne district.
The ruling hierarch, Metropolitan Anatoly of Sarny and Polesye, notes that these cases of robbery and desecration in the Sarny Diocese “are not just crimes, but also revenge against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC MP)”.
Between December 7 and 17, three churches were robbed and desecrated on the territory of the Sarny Diocese.
Further, attacks on churches in the Sumy Diocese recently have also become more frequent.
On the night of December 14/15 and on the following night of December 15/16, 2014, Churches of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and of the Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple were robbed in the city of Sumy. According to reports by the rectors of these churches to the ruling hierarch, the culprits broke into the entrance doors and stole money (the donations of Sumy residents for civilians of Donbass) as well as some of the church vessels, reports the diocese’s website.
Over a stretch of five months, eight similar crimes against Orthodox churches were committed in the Sumy region. The Sumy Diocese has no information regarding the search for the criminals.
