Local Residents in Kyiv Dissatisfied With Construction of Catholic Church

On 15 April, the construction of a Polish Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis of Assisi was started in Obolon in Kyiv. It is already the second attempt to do it. In July 2011, the parish already tried to start the construction at the plot for the use of which it obtained an appropriate act in March 2010. That time, it ended in the dstruction of the fence and a cross.  

The launch of the construction was attended by Bishop Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk, Archbishop Petro Malchuk, the faithful of the parish and other parishes, monks and nuns.

According to CREDO, the faithful had to face again the dissatisfaction and aggression of the local residents. Walking past the praying people, the locals shouted out insults, curses, pushed the participants, tried to kick fragments of the fence out of the workers’ hands. However, it did not end in open violence because of the presence of a large number of policemen and guards who are to continue controlling the situation.

According to the report, the attitude of the local residents and their statements show that they are influenced by some one interested in the absence of the church here, and it appears that someone would like to enlarge their business at the expense of the plot, for it will be used for some construction anyway. Hastily planted trees were supposed to present the wasteland as a public garden.