Greek Catholic Chapel Attacked in Odesa Region
In the village of Riasnopil in Odesa Oblast, a native of Abkhazia attacked a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) chapel, which is being built by local residents, with an axe and broke its windows.
The incident happened in the evening of May 21. According to the website of Odesa Greek Catholics, the neighbors noticed the attacker in time. According to the parish priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Fr. Volodymyr Kinchatyi, they stopped the Abkhazian man when he was trying to break the door with his axe.
“The attacker threatened to burn the chapel, but when the neighbors stopped him, he retreated. The people organized a watch near the chapel and called the police and he was detained at night.”
According to the priest, the man was slightly drunk and drove a car.
“At first, he denied everything but later said that he has everything fixed and that the 'batiushka [editor: Orthodox priest] from Berezovka' gave him his blessing as he is his friend. And this man expects to get a permission to live in Ukraine!” said Fr. Volodymyr.
