Priest Being Pressured to End Services

(Forum 18 ) – Russian Orthodox Church Abroad priest Fr Leonid Plyats has had four lengthy “discussions” with officials, in the space of just over a week, and threats to punish him with jail or a massive fine if he holds any services outside his home. But local police chief Valentin Nikolaenok has denied to Forum 18 News Service that this is “pressure”. Aleksandr Kozmin of the district Ideology Department told Forum 18 that “The warning was just an explanation of the law.” Kozmin did not believe Forum 18 that other European states did not have Ideology Departments. But he insisted that Fr Plyats has no right to conduct any religious activity except private gatherings in his own home. Bishop Agafangel (Pashkovsky) told Forum 18 that “I can’t believe that in our time, in the centre of Europe , believers are being banned from gathering together to worship God. This is discrimination against our Church. They don’t get involved in politics or opposition activity – it is a purely religious organization.”