Priests and laity publish messages on Facebook with words of support to clerics who were summoned to SBU for questioning.
On December 9, 2018, Protopriest Vasiliy Nachev launched a flashmob in support of the canonical Church, as well as his fellow priests from the Rovno eparchy, who were called in for questioning by the Security Service of Ukraine.
“Doing this we will show our loyalty to the Mother Church, Her Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, and also that we are not afraid of pressure and intimidation,” Father Vasiliy said on his Facebook page.
On the published video, Father Vasily proposed to upload photos with the text “I support the UOC – I am ready for calls to the Security Service of Ukraine” on the social network.
The initiative of the priest was supported by numerous Facebook users. Believers from different regions of Ukraine publish posts on the Web with words of support for the UOC, accompanying the message with photos containing the words “I support the UOC – I am ready for calls to the Security Service of Ukraine”.
Not only the clergy, but also the laity, who are not indifferent to the fate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, spoke with the words of support to the clerics who were called in for questioning.
Recall, on December 3, searches were conducted in cathedrals, buildings, temples, and houses of the priests in Zhitomir and Ovruch eparchies of the UOC, while on December 5, the SBU Office summoned the clergy of Rovno and Sarny eparchies for questioning. According to Protopriest Alexander Bakhov, Chairman of the Law Department, “law enforcement officers ignore the obvious facts of incitement of religious hatred against the UOC and look for its signs where there are none.”