Ukrainian police arrest priest during service

Command Center

Ukrainian police dragged out a 65-year-old priest in the middle of performing communion, while still wearing his liturgical vestments.

Archpriest Ivan Protsyuk of the Church of Ascension of the Lord in the village of Bukovyna, Chernivtsi, was performing communion on March 22 when police entered the church, apparently at the behest of the non-believers in the local community.

Protsyuk remonstrated with the police for half an hour to be allowed to finish communion before being assaulted by police and dragged from the church. Protsyuk was told by police to ‘stop offending’ while being manhandled.