In a serious escalation of tension in Crimea, three Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests have been seized and interrogated by pro-Russian forces. The Rev. Mykola Kvych, a pastor and Ukrainian military chaplain, was taken on March 15 after celebrating the liturgy. He was released later that day after hours of questioning. The following day two other Greek Catholic priests were also picked up for questioning before being released. Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests have received oral and written threats, warning them to leave Crimea. Father Kvych told the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s information department that he was held for eight hours by representatives of the pro-Russian Crimean self-defense force and Russian intelligence officers. According to Father Kvych, they accused him of “provocations” and of supplying the Ukrainian navy with weapons. Father Kvych told his interrogators that he helped organize the delivery of food to a blockaded naval base and that he gave two bulletproof vests to journalists. The day following his release, after several unknown individuals continually rang the doorbell of his apartment and then tried to break in, Father Kvych, with the assistance of his parishioners, was able to leave Crimea.
Priests Abducted
Show Comments ()
1
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Miguel K'nowles
11 years ago
:(
The latest from america
When the cardinals voted to elect Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the 265th successor of St. Peter on the evening of March 13, 2013, few of them imagined what kind of pope he would be.
Just halfway through his period of convalescence, Pope Francis not only appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday to give the Urbi et Orbi blessing—to the city of Rome (“urbi”) and to the world (“orbi”)—but he also drove among the crowd in his jeep.
Against the backdrop of deep differences with the Trump administration over migration and foreign aid as well as concerns for Ukraine and for Gaza, the Vatican secretary of state welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance to the Vatican.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, attended the liturgy with his wife, Usha, a practicing Hindu, and his three children after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day.