Second Ukrainian Orthodox Church Desecrated in Same Town

Case information
Incident date
Geographic scope
Country unknown
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Desecration
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Intolerance towards Religious Symbols

A new church dedicated to Our Lady of Iveron, in the town of Rokitno in the Rovno region (Western Ukraine), was desecrated by vandals.

Vandals desecrated the sanctuary, burned the holy gifts, the antimension (one of the most important furnishings of the altar in Orthodox Christian liturgical traditions) with relics and the Gospel from the altar. The offense was committed during the night of November 29 to 30. Additionally, the perpetrators attempted to set fire to the building in three different locations. Money was also stolen. Similar acts were committed on November 18 - 19 in the church of the Holy Trinity in the same town. Source: L'Observatoire de la Christianophobie