Clergy from the Moscow Patriarchate occupied the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the Ukrainian city of Tokmak on April 12, after expelling Greek Catholic faithful and preventing them from accessing the temple during the Easter celebration.
Takeover of the Temple During the Easter Celebration
The occupation took place in Tokmak, in the Zaporizhzhia region, under Russian control since the 2022 invasion.
The temple belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in communion with Rome, whose faithful were evicted before the Orthodox liturgical celebration, coinciding with the Easter of Eastern Christians.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, reacted days later in statements reported by The Pillar: “This is a blasphemy against the Risen Lord, the Prince of Peace. And moreover on the Easter feast”.
Faithful Expelled and Ban on Praying in Their Own Church
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church denounced that the takeover of the temple was not an isolated incident.
According to the statement from the Donetsk exarchate, the occupation occurred illegally and the local faithful have been expelled and deprived of access to the site.
“With cynicism, our church was taken on Easter; our faithful were expelled,” stated Shevchuk in his weekly message on April 19.
The archbishop added that the temple has been used by Russian Orthodox clergy in the presence of paramilitary units.
The exarchate emphasized that believers have been prohibited from praying in their own church while outsiders occupy the temple.
“It is especially outrageous that parishioners are banned from going to their church while others present themselves as ‘parishioners,’” the text states.
Testimonies and Pressure on the Faithful
Among the cases cited, the Church highlights that of Svitlana Loy, a laywoman who continued to go to the temple to pray and care for it despite threats and intimidation.
According to the denunciation, those who attempt to exercise their religious freedom in these territories may face reprisals from the occupation authorities, including sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Denunciations of Systematic Persecution
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church maintains that what happened in Tokmak is part of a broader pattern.
Since the start of the invasion, it has denounced detentions, tortures, and deportations of its members, including priests.
Human rights organizations have also pointed out that Russian authorities use structures of the Orthodox Church to replace Christian communities not aligned with Moscow.
An international report presented in March tallies 737 places of worship damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and 67 members of the clergy killed.
Conflicting Versions of What Happened
From media outlets close to the Moscow Patriarchate, it has been claimed that the church was “abandoned” and that its use responded to pastoral needs.
They have also accused the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of applying a “double standard” in its denunciations.
Call for Unity Amid Pressure
In its message, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church asks the faithful to maintain unity and hope amid the situation.
“In these circumstances, it is especially important to hold on to prayer and not lose hope,” the statement notes.
And it adds an affirmation that connects the current situation with Christian faith: “Christ’s Resurrection, like our history, shows that truth and freedom, though temporarily suppressed, ultimately prevail”.