On Sunday, January 10, in the village of Dilove, Transcarpathian region, where the UOC-MP does not allow OCU believers to pray in their church, the attackers committed another arson attack. This time they tried to set fire to the garage of one of the faithful of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
This was announced on Facebook by the hierarch of the OCU, Bishop Varsonofy of Transcarpathian and Uzhgorod, Religiyna Pravda reports.
"Attention!!! Another arson attack !!! On the same night, the doors were set on fire at the garage of another our faithful, the coordinator of the religious community of the Assumption of the Holy Theotokos in the village of Dilove, Firishchak Pyotr Iosifovich!",- he wrote.
The bishop suggested that the authorities resign because of such arbitrariness: "zero response from the authorities so far!!!" I think it's high time for someone to retire!!!".
A few days before the arson, Bishop Varsonofy wrote that the OCU priests were receiving threats. This is the second arson attack. The first one occurred on the night of January 10. Perpetrators tried to set fire to the home of the OCU faithful, the parish treasurer.
Two years ago, most residents of Dilove decided to move from the Moscow Patriarchate to the UOC-MP. Still, the local priest and supporters of the Moscow Patriarchate who stayed with him categorically refused to give up the church to the new church community.
A few days earlier, the Supreme Court decided that the church should belong to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Representatives of the Executive Service tried to withdraw the keys. Still, the priest of the Moscow Patriarchate and his supporters locked themselves in the church and refused to transfer the property legally.