About 100 armed men seize Archangel Michael Cathedral in Cherkassy

As many as 100 armed men tried to seize the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the city of Cherkassy. The attackers smashed windows, broke doors, played songs about Stepan Bandera and threatened parishioners who were standing inside during the liturgy. One of the priests was injured.

The invaders were wearing military uniforms. They managed to get to the altar in an attempt to force the believers out of the church, but the people fought back fiercely. 

Metropolitan Theodosius of the UOC arrived to the cathedral with parishioners, the situation calmed down for a while, but the fights resumed soon. Theodosius was hurt during one of them.

Both monks and priests took part in the scuffles. The believers eventually made the attackers leave the cathedral. 

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is the canonical church in Ukraine, associated with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). The Verkhovna Rada passed a law in late summer banning the activities of religious organizations associated with Russia in Ukraine. In October, the Ukrainian government approved legal procedures for further persecution of the UOC.

According to the Union of Orthodox Journalists, the attackers stole the treasury, documents, computers and icons from the church.

Parishioners began to gather near the Archangel Michael Cathedral to try to protect it. At night, believers led by Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkassy and Kanev were able to defend the cathedral. Metropolitan Theodosius arrived in Cherkassy from house arrest.

According to UOJ, the Ukrainian police are not interfering in what is happening. The attackers are calling on their supporters on social networks to join the assault.

The UOJ clarified that the cathedral was seized during the second assault. It is specified that the invaders are supporters of the schismatic structure of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) appeared in 2018 by decree of the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. It united two non-canonical autocephalous churches and entered into an agreement with the Church of Constantinople. The ROC considers this church schismatic. According to representatives of the clergy, the Ukrainian authorities created the OCU in order to demonstratively protect themselves from the Russian Orthodox Church.