Occupation authorities threaten to grab temples of UOC and expel priests in CADO - Archbishop of Donetsk and Mariupol

The threats to take away parishes, temples, property and land plots of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the occupied territory can be implemented from March 1. The occupation authorities warned the clergy about this, - Archbishop Serhiy (Horobtsov) of Donetsk and Mariupol reported on Facebook.

"Violating all possible laws, the authorities of the so-called "DNR" warned the clergy and believers of our Church that from March 1 of this year, they will seize and take away all our parishes, temples, property and land plots, and the clergy will be expelled (deported) to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. There is a danger that they will be able to commit this crime in a few days", - Horobtsov wrote.

According to him, the UOC could lose 36 Ukrainian Orthodox churches, the House of Mercy and diocesan administration in the occupied territory.

The conditions put forward regarding the re-registration of the UOC statutes according to the "DNR" "laws" were called "impossible" by Horobtsov.

"I want to note that this law concerns many confessions besides the Moscow Patriarchate. They are well aware that we will never betray Ukraine", - he wrote.