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January 8, 2024The Cherkasy Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has suspended Priest Dmytro Plaksyvyi from serving at the Holy Protection Church in the village of Horodetske in the Uman region, accusing him of witchcraft and refusing to bless the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian media outlets reported this development.
According to local residents who spoke to journalists, the priest is accused of allegedly “performing rituals with cemetery soil.” The specific source of the accusation against the clergyman is not specified.
“They accuse the priest of supposedly performing curses, going to the cemetery, taking soil from graves, and performing certain rituals. They also claim that he manipulates people, consumes alcohol, and refused to conduct blessings for the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which led to discord between the village elder, the head of the household, and the head of the Palanka village council,” said a local resident named Yuriy, who opposes the priest’s suspension.
Journalists were able to review the decree issued by the head of the Cherkasy Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Ioan of Cherkasy and Chyhyryn. According to the document, Plaksyvyi is prohibited from conducting religious services. He has been removed from the position of the head of the religious organization “Religious Community of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God Parish.” The reason for his suspension was cited as “the clergyman’s failure to meet the requirements of his rank, numerous violations, and corresponding complaints about his actions.”
Some local residents have voiced support for the priest, claiming that he recently started serving in the local church. According to them, the allegations against the priest are slanderous. Following discussions, people drafted a petition with signatures urging the higher clergy to reinstate the priest in his duties. As of now, the Cherkasy Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has not commented on the suspension.
It’s worth noting that in Ukrainian Orthodox customs, there is a tradition known as “sealing” the soil, essentially a remote funeral rite where a priest offers prayers over a handful of soil taken from the burial site of the deceased.