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UKRAINIAN politicians have blamed pro-Orthodox extremists after a Greek Catholic chapel was destroyed in an arson attack in Kiev. “Leaders of these groups threatened to do everything to prevent the presence of the Greek Catholic Church in the capital,” said Yaroslav Kendzior, an MP with the centre-right Our Ukraine party.
Police said they had failed to identify those responsible for last month’s night-time attack on the wooden chapel at the construction site of the Greek Catholic Church’s new Kiev cathedral. However, Mr Kendzior said “extremist groups”, including Ukraine’s Progressive Socialist Party, had vowed to disrupt the presence of Greek Catholics, who combine the eastern liturgy with loyalty to Rome, after opposing last August’s transfer of the Church’s patriarchal see to the capital from the western city of Lviv.
The Greek Catholic Studyte order, which administered the chapel, said it believed petrol had been used in the attack, during which crosses and documents were strewn over neighbouring gardens. The construction of a Kiev cathedral for Greek Catholics, whose 30,000 members have four parishes in the capital, has been vigorously opposed by the largest of Ukraine’s three rival Orthodox churches, which is loyal to the Moscow patriarchate.
UKRAINIAN politicians have blamed pro-Orthodox extremists after a Greek Catholic chapel was destroyed in an arson attack in Kiev. “Leaders of these groups threatened to do everything to prevent the presence of the Greek Catholic Church in the capital,” said Yaroslav Kendzior, an MP with the centre-right Our Ukraine party.
Police said they had failed to identify those responsible for last month’s night-time attack on the wooden chapel at the construction site of the Greek Catholic Church’s new Kiev cathedral. However, Mr Kendzior said “extremist groups”, including Ukraine’s Progressive Socialist Party, had vowed to disrupt the presence of Greek Catholics, who combine the eastern liturgy with loyalty to Rome, after opposing last August’s transfer of the Church’s patriarchal see to the capital from the western city of Lviv.
The Greek Catholic Studyte order, which administered the chapel, said it believed petrol had been used in the attack, during which crosses and documents were strewn over neighbouring gardens. The construction of a Kiev cathedral for Greek Catholics, whose 30,000 members have four parishes in the capital, has been vigorously opposed by the largest of Ukraine’s three rival Orthodox churches, which is loyal to the Moscow patriarchate.