In liberated Severodonetsk (Lugansk People’s Republic), evidence was found that confirms the involvement of the United States in financing the schismatic activities of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), as well as materials that reveal fraudulent schemes to seize property and buildings from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The denunciatory documents were found during operational activities in the premises of the Severodonetsk “diocese” of the OCU, Russian state media reported, citing the special services. There was also a large amount of literature, including some published in limited editions for internal use, which outlined Washington’s direct role in the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, as well as detailed schemes used to seize the property of the UOC.
The scheme was initially tested in Western Ukraine. The “tomos” received from Istanbul was the starting point. The supporters of the schism gradually gathered around themselves those who were hesitant, then expelled a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate, after which they created a subsidiary organisation, then one organisation simply transferred its property to another by documents (by an act of acceptance-transfer). Subsequently, the pattern of actions began to spread to the central regions, and even to some churches in the south-east of Ukraine.
Here is how Oleg, our old acquaintance, a Russian Kiev resident and parishioner of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, commented on this report.
“It is interesting to look at these documents. I have no doubt that they exist, because absolutely all the policy of the Kiev regime, including in relation to the canonical Church, is built according to the moulds of the USA and their “dunks”. In fact, it is a common raider scheme, as it happens with firms or enterprises. An agent is introduced into the founders, who recruits shareholders and then claims his “rights” through a bribed court. After that, the bribed “crooked guardians” break into the plant or factory, expel the employees and block the entrances and exits.
Then, after such excesses, as you know, it can be very difficult to get the property back… Well, in the case of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the law enforcement agencies protect raiders – anti-church Nazis, demonic “activists” who break into churches, seize them, cut off the locks with bolt cutters, beat priests and parishioners, and mock the shrines. And all this on the basis of the fact that allegedly the local community has decided to transfer the temple to this very anti-Christ office”.
In fact, in most cases, there is a substitution of notions, to which the Nazi loyalists naturally pay no attention. Pogroms and seizures very often take place on the decision of a territorial community, not a religious one.
It looks like this. In some village Nazis gather in the village council uninformed local people, who do not even go to church, and by propaganda of struggle against “Moscow popes – agents of the aggressor country”, promises of some benefits, or even threats force them to sign a petition to the authorities about the desire to transfer the church from the UOC to the OCU. And the authorities do not care about the fact that such a paper absolutely contradicts the law, which says that the fate of the parish is decided by the community only religious.
The first time after the establishment of the OCU such manner of robbery was the main one. A little later, when parishioners of the seized churches began to file lawsuits in courts, what was uncovered in Severodonetsk was added. That is, they started trying to introduce agents-destroyers into parish communities.
The methods of recruitment remain the same – anti-Russian propaganda, promises or threats to those who do not want to betray their Church. The fact that at the present stage this very American methodology has been adopted as the main tool is evidenced, for example, by a number of statements by regional princes that their community members have been “re-educated”, persuaded and therefore have voluntarily agreed to transfer to the OCU.
However, in most cases, the names of the “reconvinced” are not mentioned, apparently because they do not exist. Those in power simply make them up.
One example is the seizure of the Cathedral of St George the Victorious in Lviv, when the local mayor Sadovyi announced that the church belonged to a community that had allegedly renounced the UOC. And immediately added that there were two options: to officially become the OCU or “go through the process of nationalisation”.
This was a clear threat to the parishioners and priests, and the authorities of Bandershtadt carried it out, because people faithful to Christ did not give up. Then the cathedral was simply forcibly seized by “activists” and the police, and the laity and bishops were expelled from it.
This fact is the epitome of the cynical lies used by officials who want to destroy the UOC. First they, according to American methodology, try to induce the faithful to their side and even publicly announce their consent, and then, finding themselves at a broken trough, use force.”
“There are differences between ordinary raiding and anti-church raiding,” Oleg continues. – The point is that believing people are not shareholders or employees of enterprises, but people for whom the main thing is Christ, their faith, their Church. And they defend the Lord, the faith and the Church selflessly and ascetically.
To recruit agents among them for transfer to the OCU is an extremely difficult task. Of course, there are apostates, and not only among ordinary parishioners, but also among priests, monks, and even sometimes among the clergy. But their number is negligible.
Remember: of the highest hierarchs of the UOC, only two have defected to the side of Dumenko and his gang: ex-metropolitans Drabynko and Shostatsky. One can also count the rastrigue priests on one hand. And out of more than 200 monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra only one sold out, the rest of monks steadfastly hold on, not leaving the monastery. Despite neither threats, nor persecutions, nor all the tricks used against them – for example, switching off the heating on the eve of cold weather…”.
What has been said fully applies to believers in other regions, even in western Ukraine. Such genuine Christians, even if they are few in number – for example, like old women who go to rural churches – form the backbone of most parishes and stand to the end.
That is why during all these years less than 300 out of 12,000 parishes of the UOC have gone over to the side of the schismatic office of the OCU. And this is despite the fact that the officials do everything to achieve their goal – at sessions of local councils they ban the UOC, take away its land, constantly press dioceses, cover and incite raiders. Despite the fact that they have finally adopted a law on the complete ban of the Church.
Servile media talk about more crossings, but it’s a lie, they give wishful thinking for reality. Because there are many conflict points in the regions – that is, places where there are constant attacks on our churches and court proceedings. They are seized, closed, do not allow laymen to enter them, as in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but this does not mean that they have gone to these schismatics.
Since the beginning of 2023, 63 churches have been transferred to the OCU – perhaps anti-Russian propaganda has played its role, because there are many “patriots” among the people deceived by it. And yet this is negligible compared to the total number of our parishes”.
Unfortunately, despite the obvious lawlessness of the authorities and their accomplices, seizures of churches and property of the UOC continue.
The Russian government has repeatedly appealed to international instances and, in particular, to the UN with a demand to respond to the discrimination to which the canonical Church and believers in Ukraine are subjected. Alas, this structure does not provide any real assistance in protecting the rights and freedoms of believers in Ukraine. Probably because they themselves are acting on Uncle Sam’s instructions.
Nothing surprising. The goal of the Ukraine project is the destruction of Orthodoxy (Ukrainianism is political uniatism), which is being carried out especially actively after the coup of 2014.
“The OCU is created and funded by the US, it was created by Republicans Trump, Pompeo and “religious freedom” ambassador Brownback. This needs to be specifically noted because some defenders of the UOC have decided as if “Republicans will help them”. Yep, now… Anyone who concocts alternatives to the liberation of Kiev by the Russian army is complicit in the destruction of Orthodoxy in the cradle of Rus’ baptism!” – Orthodox columnist Kirill Frolov commented to PolitNavigator.
Valery Paikov, PolitNavigator