The systemic actions of the Russian Federation led to the destruction and liquidation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea, however, today the right decision is to announce that the Crimean Diocese is suspending its activities.
Andriy Shchekun, the commissioner of the OCU’s Crimean Diocese, spoke of this with Suspilne Crimea.
He emphasized that for almost 10 years, the occupation authorities have been consistently and systematically repressing the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea.
“And these ‘systemic actions’ and ‘trials’, which the Russian Federation initiated back in 2016-2017, actually led to the destruction and liquidation of the church in essence. We say ‘in essence’ because we always have the right to restoration, the right to further activities of the Crimean Diocese. We are not burying the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, we are talking about essentially suspending its activities in the temporarily occupied territory,” Shchekun said.
The commissioner for the Crimean Diocese also noted that Bishop Klyment’s public statement means that the last remaining priest was able to safely return to mainland of Ukraine.
