#BreakingNews 2 Catholic Priests from Ukraine are Arrested by Russian Army who Accuse them of "Subversive" Activities
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The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Chuch explained:
And on November 23-24, a video clip of Father Ivan Levytskyi's interrogation was posted online, where the effects of physical and mental exhaustion are visible on the priest's face. To this day, the location of both priests remains unknown to us. Also, since the arrest of the priests, contact with them has been completely lost, which indicates their absolute isolation.
Two priests belong to the international Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and served in Berdyansk in the Greek-Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Since the beginning of the large-scale war on February 24, 2022, and the subsequent transfer of the city under the control of the Russian military, the fathers decided to stay to continue praying with the people, to provide spiritual and humanitarian care to the needy and refugees, whose number was increasing in the city.
From November 23, the Russian mass media began to spread reports that weapons and explosives were allegedly found on the territory of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and in the cellar of the house where our priests lived, by employees of the Russian Guard.
Undoubtedly, the results of searches in the Greek Catholic church in Berdyansk, conducted in the absence of priests Ivan and Bohdan, are fabricated and false. A message was posted on the tg channel "News Feed Berdyansk" that betrays the ordered nature of this search, because it contrasts the results of searches "in the Lavra and temples of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate" and "in a church that is controlled from Kyiv and where explosives and weapons are found." (Source: https://www.cssr.lviv.ua/novyny/publikacii/oficijne-povidomlennya-zni)
And on November 23-24, a video clip of Father Ivan Levytskyi's interrogation was posted online, where the effects of physical and mental exhaustion are visible on the priest's face. To this day, the location of both priests remains unknown to us. Also, since the arrest of the priests, contact with them has been completely lost, which indicates their absolute isolation.
Two priests belong to the international Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) and served in Berdyansk in the Greek-Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Since the beginning of the large-scale war on February 24, 2022, and the subsequent transfer of the city under the control of the Russian military, the fathers decided to stay to continue praying with the people, to provide spiritual and humanitarian care to the needy and refugees, whose number was increasing in the city.
From November 23, the Russian mass media began to spread reports that weapons and explosives were allegedly found on the territory of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and in the cellar of the house where our priests lived, by employees of the Russian Guard.
Undoubtedly, the results of searches in the Greek Catholic church in Berdyansk, conducted in the absence of priests Ivan and Bohdan, are fabricated and false. A message was posted on the tg channel "News Feed Berdyansk" that betrays the ordered nature of this search, because it contrasts the results of searches "in the Lavra and temples of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate" and "in a church that is controlled from Kyiv and where explosives and weapons are found." (Source: https://www.cssr.lviv.ua/novyny/publikacii/oficijne-povidomlennya-zni)
Official statement of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC regarding the illegal arrest of priests in Berdyansk
November 26, 2022
On Friday, November 25, the press service of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC published an official statement regarding the illegal arrest of clergymen in Berdyansk.
Official statement of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC regarding the illegal arrest of priests in Berdyansk
STATEMENT
Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC
regarding the illegal arrest of priests in Berdyansk
In these difficult times for our people, when we are witnesses of numerous painful victims of military atrocities, we accept with great regret and pain the news of the groundless and illegal abduction and imprisonment of two clergymen of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC in the city of Berdyansk: Hieromonk Ivan Levytskyi, the abbot of the church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God in the city of Berdyansk, and Fr. Bohdan Geleta, an employee of the same church, by the Russian "administration" established in the territories captured by Russian troops.
After the publication in several information resources (including in the Russian mass media) of reports about the detention of Ukrainian priests in Berdyansk, due to the alleged explosives found in them by the Russian Guards, with accusations of "subversive" and "guerrilla" activities directed against representatives of the Russian troops , which are located in the city of Berdyansk, we feel obliged to make an official statement:
1) these priests are in the place of their own priestly service on completely legal grounds, conducting their statutory activities in the local parish for more than three years, proclaiming the Word of God, which is peace for every person.
2) from the moment of the beginning of the full-scale war of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine until the day of their arrest by representatives of the Russian special services, there were no comments and all their activities did not go beyond the scope of their pastoral duties and were the subject of detailed reporting, on their part, to the church to the authorities
3) at the time of the search of the church and the adjacent parish house and technical premises of the parish, both priests were already under arrest, that is, they could not control these premises and the actions of the Rosguards in any way. They cannot bear any responsibility for the weapons and ammunition allegedly found in them. This is a clear slander and a false accusation.
4) the analysis of the library funds of this parish, presented in the journalistic report of the "Zvezda" channel, is simply surprising and surprising to anyone who has even a superficial knowledge of the European history of the last century. Such an analysis can be perceived only and exclusively as either an unsuccessful journalistic joke, or as a cheap means of deliberately discrediting the clergy of the UGCC in the style of the most primitive slanders of our Church by the godless communist regime of the ex-USSR. Such methods were used by the then state security bodies for the physical elimination of bishops, priests and the faithful in the period from the Second World War until the fall of the Soviet Union; And this method was used again by the journalist.
5) the very fact of similar behavior of representatives of the Russian local authorities in relation to the clergy of the UGCC can have only one assessment - complete disregard for the fundamental principles of human rights.
The appearance in the propagandistic Russian information space of a deliberately fabricated and false accusation of the possession of weapons and explosives by spiritual persons who had no intention of doing such a thing, because for us the most powerful force is God, this happened after the SBU conducted searches in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, because before that they were not accused of anything, indicates the intention to use further terror against the imprisoned fathers. And about the fact that in the cities of southern Ukraine, the Russian administration operates according to the methods of the Bolshevik special services.
Only because of their loyalty to God and the Church, the above-mentioned "accusations" are incriminated against the fathers-pastors.
Taking into account the above, we demand the earliest possible release from custody and imprisonment of our priests - Hieromonk Ivan Levytsky and Hieromonk Bohdan Geleta, as well as ensuring their unhindered legal service to the spiritual needs of the faithful of the UGCC, who live in the city of Berdyansk.
We ask for the maximum dissemination of information in order to free the captive fathers. We appeal to the authorities and all people of good will, with a request to join the cause of the release of priests, as well as for increased prayer in this regard.
Merciful God, hear our prayers!
November 26, 2022
On Friday, November 25, the press service of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC published an official statement regarding the illegal arrest of clergymen in Berdyansk.
Official statement of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC regarding the illegal arrest of priests in Berdyansk
STATEMENT
Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC
regarding the illegal arrest of priests in Berdyansk
In these difficult times for our people, when we are witnesses of numerous painful victims of military atrocities, we accept with great regret and pain the news of the groundless and illegal abduction and imprisonment of two clergymen of the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC in the city of Berdyansk: Hieromonk Ivan Levytskyi, the abbot of the church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God in the city of Berdyansk, and Fr. Bohdan Geleta, an employee of the same church, by the Russian "administration" established in the territories captured by Russian troops.
After the publication in several information resources (including in the Russian mass media) of reports about the detention of Ukrainian priests in Berdyansk, due to the alleged explosives found in them by the Russian Guards, with accusations of "subversive" and "guerrilla" activities directed against representatives of the Russian troops , which are located in the city of Berdyansk, we feel obliged to make an official statement:
1) these priests are in the place of their own priestly service on completely legal grounds, conducting their statutory activities in the local parish for more than three years, proclaiming the Word of God, which is peace for every person.
2) from the moment of the beginning of the full-scale war of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine until the day of their arrest by representatives of the Russian special services, there were no comments and all their activities did not go beyond the scope of their pastoral duties and were the subject of detailed reporting, on their part, to the church to the authorities
3) at the time of the search of the church and the adjacent parish house and technical premises of the parish, both priests were already under arrest, that is, they could not control these premises and the actions of the Rosguards in any way. They cannot bear any responsibility for the weapons and ammunition allegedly found in them. This is a clear slander and a false accusation.
4) the analysis of the library funds of this parish, presented in the journalistic report of the "Zvezda" channel, is simply surprising and surprising to anyone who has even a superficial knowledge of the European history of the last century. Such an analysis can be perceived only and exclusively as either an unsuccessful journalistic joke, or as a cheap means of deliberately discrediting the clergy of the UGCC in the style of the most primitive slanders of our Church by the godless communist regime of the ex-USSR. Such methods were used by the then state security bodies for the physical elimination of bishops, priests and the faithful in the period from the Second World War until the fall of the Soviet Union; And this method was used again by the journalist.
5) the very fact of similar behavior of representatives of the Russian local authorities in relation to the clergy of the UGCC can have only one assessment - complete disregard for the fundamental principles of human rights.
The appearance in the propagandistic Russian information space of a deliberately fabricated and false accusation of the possession of weapons and explosives by spiritual persons who had no intention of doing such a thing, because for us the most powerful force is God, this happened after the SBU conducted searches in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, because before that they were not accused of anything, indicates the intention to use further terror against the imprisoned fathers. And about the fact that in the cities of southern Ukraine, the Russian administration operates according to the methods of the Bolshevik special services.
Only because of their loyalty to God and the Church, the above-mentioned "accusations" are incriminated against the fathers-pastors.
Taking into account the above, we demand the earliest possible release from custody and imprisonment of our priests - Hieromonk Ivan Levytsky and Hieromonk Bohdan Geleta, as well as ensuring their unhindered legal service to the spiritual needs of the faithful of the UGCC, who live in the city of Berdyansk.
We ask for the maximum dissemination of information in order to free the captive fathers. We appeal to the authorities and all people of good will, with a request to join the cause of the release of priests, as well as for increased prayer in this regard.
Merciful God, hear our prayers!
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