UOC-MP dean in Khmelnytskyy region promises to give hard time to community that chose to side with OCU

Metropolitan Anthony (Makhota) of Khmelnytskyy and Kamyanets-Podilskyy said that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate issued threats to a local parish of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the village of Dobrohobshcha (Khmelnytskyy district) which this week decided to leave the Moscow Patriarchate. This is reported on the Metropolitan’s page on Facebook.

“Now, the media and relevant authorities, please help the community in Dobrohobshcha! In the morning, the whole village was in tears - the local dean of the Russian Orthodox Church In Khmelnytskyy, straighforwardly blackmailed the religious community that has moved to the Local Church via telephone calls. According to his words reported by the faithful, this Sunday he will come along with the support group to serve the service of God and will give everyone... independent Ukraine, and the independent Church, and show everyone “Kuzka's mother” at the same time !!!”

Villagers are asking for open support and media outlets to come film this “Khrushchev” action!” says Metropolitan on Facebook.

The dean of Khmelnitskyy deanery of the UOC-MP is Archpriest Volodymyr Zayets. Parishioners of St. Nicholas Church in Dobrohirsk conducted a poll in the village in which 231 people participated. An absolute majority supported the transition to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, two voted against, six abstained, reports the Podillya Center TV channel.

“We found four people who agreed to get around the entire village with the lists. They broke [it] into sections, and these people went through the village. They wrote down the last name, first name, patronymic and two other lines: who would like to have a Ukrainian church in the village? , and who wants the Russian church,” said one of the parishioners.