Shock moment mass six-hour brawl erupts in church as priests & worshippers fire tear gas and throw chairs at each other

4 weeks ago 3

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THIS is the shocking moment a mass brawl broke out between hundreds of worshipers and priests inside a Russian Orthodox church in Ukraine.

Hoards of pro-Ukrainian Christians fought in a bloody war against the priests in a bid to take over St Michael’s Cathedral – the largest church in the country.

a group of people are standing in a room with a table and a bench

Unbelievable footage was caught of the brawl[/caption]

a group of men in military uniforms are standing in a church

Soldiers pictured attempting to diffuse the situation[/caption]

a group of people standing in front of a fence with 18000 written on the bottom

Fire extinguishers and gas sprays were used[/caption]

a group of people are standing around a man laying on the ground .

A man was caught outside the cathedral being pinned to the ground[/caption]

a woman holding a broom in front of a crowd of people

For more than six hours, people were seen fighting[/caption]

The fight came as the Ukrainians tried to quash the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which backs Putin and his illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Supporters of the Moscow Patriarchate attempted to storm the cathedral whose worshippers had opted to belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, according to reports.

Shocking footage showed both groups battling each other with sticks and stones before throwing chairs at each other.

For more than six hours, people were seen fighting with fire extinguishers as tear gasses were tossed out.

A bishop’s mitre was seen flying off his head amid a fistfight.

Guns were reportedly blazed out but not used.

In the end, the supporters of the independent Ukrainian church won the bizarre battle, seeing control over the cathedral and banishing those loyal to the Moscow-affiliated church.

Father Nazari Zasansky, one of the new military chaplains at the church, told The Times: “It was total chaos. The Moscow-aligned church is a tool of the Russian security services and poses a danger to our country.”

“It has long tried to demoralise our people here, telling them that Russia is not the enemy, that we are all brothers and sisters and that we shouldn’t fight. But it’s pure propaganda,” he added.

Boroshno News reported: “The situation in Cherkasy is more dynamic than at the front.

“The pro-Ukrainian forces regrouped and, as a result of a sudden counterattack, took the cathedral back.”

Several people needed treatment for wounds.

Metropolitan Feodosiy [Teodosiy], leader of the church linked to Moscow in the region, arrived at the scene during the clashes.

Despite the war, he has held sway at the cathedral – until now.

Feodosiy has been accused of inciting inter-religious enmity and denying armed aggression by Putin.

He was also blamed for “subversive activity” against Ukraine.

At one point, Cherkasy mayor Anatoly Bondarenko said: “I invite everyone to come and express their opinion about the existence of a Moscow church in our city.”

Military chaplain Father Nazarii, in a comment to Ukrainian media outlet Suspilnyi, said it was vital Kyiv won the standoff.

“The Russian Orthodox Church occupied the territory of the St. Michael’s Cathedral and is hypocritically called the Ukrainian Church,” he said.

“But in fact, we heard their services, where they already commemorate Patriarch Kirill [staunchly pro-war Putin-loyal head of the Russian Orthodox Church], and do not pray for the Ukrainian army….

“It is necessary to free the whole of Ukraine from Russian occupation and spiritual occupation.”

Regional governor Igor Taburets said law enforcement officers are investigating the situation, but he backed the move for Ukraine to control the holy building.

“Every religious community has the legal right to change its subordination in canonical and organisational matter” he said.

“The course towards the spiritual independence of Ukraine is unchanged.”