Contributed to the seizure of Ukrainian churches: SBU announced suspicion to four metropolitans of the Russian Orthodox Church
Kyiv • UNN
Four Russian Metropolitans were informed in absentia of suspicion for facilitating the seizure of Ukrainian churches in the occupied territories. They ensured the "annexation" of religious communities to the Russian Orthodox Church in the Kherson, Zaporizhia and Luhansk regions.
Law enforcement officers reported suspicion in absentia to four Russian metropolitans who contributed to the seizure of churches in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This UNN reports with reference to the SBU.
Details
All clerics are members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Suspicion was received by:
- chairman of the St. Petersburg Archdiocese-Metropolitan Varsonofy (Anatoly Sudakov);
- head of the Department of External Church ties of the Russian Orthodox Church – Metropolitan Anthony (Anton Sevryuk);
- administrator of the Kolomna diocese, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Archdiocese – Metropolitan Krutitsky (Georgy Ponomarev);
- the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's affairs is metropolitan Dionysius (Peter Porubay).
According to the case file, during 2022-2023, they contributed to the seizure of property of Ukrainian churches on the Left Bank of the Kherson region, as well as in the Crimea and temporarily occupied areas of Zaporozhye and Luhansk regions
To do this, they reportedly, under the leadership of patriarch Gundyaev, secured the decision of the Russian Synod on the "annexation" of Ukrainian religious communities to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Thus, Russian clergy seized churches, church buildings and land of the Dzhankoy, Berdyansk, Rovenkovsky and Kherson dioceses and appointed Moscow-controlled bishops there. In the future, the proteges of the aggressor country imposed Kremlin narratives on the faithful, in which they blessed the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and justified the crimes of the invaders
Based on the collected evidence, Sudakov, Sevryuk, Porubay and Ponomarev were informed in absentia of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (complicity in committing intentional actions to change the borders of the territory or state border of Ukraine, by prior agreement of a group of persons who led to other serious consequences).
