Metropolitan Luke at the meeting with OSCE representatives
Metropolitan of Zaporizhia and Melitopol Luka (Kovalenko) met with representatives of the OSCE.
Metropolitan Zaporizhia and Melitopol Luka told the OSCE observers about the facts of impeding the faithful of the UOC of travel in procession in Kyiv, reports the website of Zaporizhia diocese.
Working meeting with representatives of the Dnieper office of the OSCE took place on July 30.
The main topic of conversation was the incident that occurred on the eve of the 1030-th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, when a bus with pilgrims, who wanted to take part in the procession of the Church in Kiev, under various pretexts, were arrested in different parts of the city.
The participants talked about the fact that these events had features carefully planned in advance of the shares. Also Vladyka Luke said, as officials rounded up people for a March to Kiev “Patriarchy” and collected money from businessmen to pay for transport costs for delivery of these people in Kiev.
“We see all the problems that exist in our society, – said the Hierarch during the meeting. – However, people suffer and continue to suffer. But the scary thing is that today’s troubles are trying to move in the spiritual realm. Political analysts say that over 250 thousand people who came to the procession, thus expressing their protest. But this is not a protest but a manifestation of faith. Despite all the negative in respect of the UOC, artificially created in society, people come to faith and strengthened in it.”
As reported by the SPM, on the night of July 27 in the Zaporozhye area the staff of SBU detained 5 buses with pilgrims who carried the faithful in Kiev for the procession. Another 10 were detained radical military.
Despite the fact that officials have created barriers to the participation of the faithful in celebrations of the UOC, in the procession in Kiev on 27 July was attended by about 250,000 people.