UOC-KP Archbishop of Crimea Appeals to Putin to Ensure Ukrainians in Crimea Are Free to Worship

The Ukrainian community of Crimea and Sevastopol is concerned over actions to obstruct the functioning of places of worship of the Eparchy of Crimea of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP).

According to Archbishop Klyment of Simferopol and Crimea of the UOC-KP, in Sevastopol the Church of Martyr Clement of Rome, which operated on the navy training base, has stopped functioning. All the efforts of Archbishop Clement to meet with representatives of the current government in Sevastopol have failed.

In addition, in the village Perevalne the Kyivan Patriarchate eparchy is experiencing psychological pressure from representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, and most recently, on Palm Sunday, young men in camouflage tried to start a conflict.

In this regard, Archbishop Klyment intends to appeal to the President of the Russian Federation to ensure ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea are free to worship.

According to the press service of the Kyivan Patriarchate, in March of this year, adviser for the Crimean Cabinet of Ministers Crimea for defense and security, Colonel Strelkov, signed a document under which all government bodies of Crimea are to stop attempts to seize property and obstruct the activity of the churches of the UOC-KP in Crimea. The letter, according to Strelkov, was approved by Patriarch Kirill.