Vandals Break into Church of Ukrainian Authocephalous Orthodox Church

On the night of December 19, in the town of Smila of the Cherkasy Oblast, unknown persons attacked the building of the Birth of John the Baptist Church of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The vandals cut off the church door locks and broke and threw outside the iconostasis, altar, icons, and chasubles.

In view of the above, the local branch of Svoboda requested the police objectively investiges the vandalism and called the incident an Ukrainophobic act aimed to stir up interdenominational hatred.

According to the information of the press service of Svoboda, the church is located in a former residential building that is not guarded.

The act of vandalism was discovered in the morning when parishioners and the pastor, Fr. Mykhailo Shevchuk, came for Mass.

“They do their best to stir up interdenominational hatred among Ukrainians and are furious about the existence of a church which professes traditional Ukrainian morals and ethical values and which does not propagate the policy of its neighboring state, unlike the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate,” commented Svoboda.   

The investigation continues.