New development in the confrontation between UOC-KP and UOC (MP) in Ptycha village in Rivne region
On April 2, villagers entered the church on a court ruling to lift an attachment of the church property. Litigation on this case has continued four months. Religious communities of the Moscow and Kyiv Patriarchates pretend to own the temple.
“Yesterday, residents of Ptycha village, finally entered their own temple. The community has the right to decide how to dispose of its property, which denomination to serve. If it was not for constant provocations and bringing of priests and women parishioners from other villages of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate - the community would have reconciled long ago and a compromise would have been reached! Constant conflicts that were set artificially, only created the desired image for the Russian media. Enough of this. Let the communities decide for themselves and make compromises! Dear representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate, do not come and do not bring your provocateurs! Here is our land, our home, our possessions, including the temple, to which you do not have no relationship!!!!” saidYuri Polischuk, the doctor and ATO participant, the native of Pticha.
The press service of the Rivne Diocese of the UOC-KP made an official comment on the events in Ptycha, Rivne region:
“First of all, we remind that the Holy Assumption community of Ptycha, Dubna district, already in 2014, by its majority (at that time, more than 60% of the votes), announced its intention to withdraw from the subordination of the Rivne Diocese of the UOC (Moscow Patriarchate) and to adhere to the jurisdiction of the Rivne Diocese of the UOC-Kyiv The patriarchate. Due to constant lies and provocations on the part of the UOC-MP, at the moment, their supporters in the village remained no more than 3%. On numerous occasions, the majority congregation appealed to the minority community with a request to alternate worship in the local church, which would avoid interdenominational confrontations in Ptycha. However, according to instructions from Moscow, this compromise proposal is constantly being ignored, which would allow restoration and inter-confessional peace and understanding between communities. After April 2, 2018, Dubna District Court repealed the attachment of the Temple of the Holy Dormition in the village of Ptycha, the community, whose majority rejects the Moscow Patriarchate, decided to enter its own temple, which it built and constantly cared for. We reiterate that the Rivne Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate did not seize the temple in the village of Ptycha as pro-Russian mass media claim. The church has been owned and is in the ownership of the community, which is its legal owner, and, in accordance with the Constitution and the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations”, has the right to freely choose its jurisdiction to one or another religious center.” This is reported by VSE.
As RISU has previously reported, the clash between the faithful of the two Patriarchs about the affiliation of the church in Ptycha has already lasted for the fourth year at a run. Most of the locals belong to the Kyivan Patriarchate and therefore they want the priests of their denomination to serve in the church. But in a court hearing held on December 2, 2015, in Kyiv with the participation of interested parties, representatives of the OSCE and Rivne Region State Administration, the Kyiv Patriarchate's claim to the church in Ptycha was rejected. Later the conflicts arose between the adherents of the two denominations, in which the parties accused each other. The building was guarded by the police for a long time
