Сrimean Tatars offer Kyiv Orthodox services at mosques

Saturday, March, 29, 2014, 10:31

In Crimea, the priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchy) are ready to serve their liturgies in mosques. Channel 5 reports that Crimean Tatars offered them this shelter, said the spokesman for the Kyiv Patriarchy, Archbishop Yevtratiy Zorya.

Archbishop Zorya states that two priests have left Crimea; eleven more led by Archbishop Clement continue to serve there. But all the clergy of the Kyiv Patriarchy was forced to take their families out of the peninsula. The Orthodox will accept the invitation of the Crimean Tatars to pray in mosques, if they feel danger in their own churches in Crimea or if the priests and parishioners of the Kyiv Patriarchy are kicked out of their churches.

“If there is no possibility for us, our priests and parishioners to pray in their churches, the Crimean Tatars will host us in mosques. I was assured that they will help to protect our rights and give us the opportunity to pray in their religious buildings,” – said the archbishop.

Earlier it was reported that the Crimean Eparchy (Moscow Patriarchy) denied reports regarding an inventory of the Kyiv Patriarchy’s property.

The original news in Ukrainian is on the Ukrainska Pravda website: