Prosecutor's Office of Transcarpathia starts criminal investigation into priest-defector

As it became known to the UOJ from its sources, the Prosecutor's Office of Transcarpathia started investigation on the case of forgery by the priest of the UAOC Sergei Umantsiv and his lawyer Lubomir Tsebrik. Presumably, Umantsiv and Tsebrik resorted to the forgery of signatures to re-register the statute of Uzhgorod’s religious community of saints equal to the apostles Prince Vladimir the Great and Princess Olga of the UOC into the UAOC.

Sergei Umantsiv, who until March 2016 was a priest of the Kiev Patriarchate and then moved to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, started judicial proceedings against the community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Uzhgorod on the plot of land of 40 acres allocated to the community. But during the hearings it became clear that almost all the documents presented by Umantsiv were forged.

According to the lawyer of the Mukachevo diocese of the UOC Dmitri Grinio, this is the first case in the legal practice over the years of Ukraine's independence, when the judge forcibly called the plaintiffs ten times to verify the authenticity of their signatures.

Priest Sergei Umantsiv and his lawyer Lubomir Tsebrik were not present at the sessions.

Read also

Lawyers continue accepting statements in defense of Kyiv Metropolis in court

UOC lawyers have published document templates and step-by-step instructions for believers wishing to submit statements in the DESS lawsuit.

Czech Roman Catholic bishop responds to killing of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk

Catholic Bishop Tomáš Holub called for prayers for all those suffering in Ukraine.

Thousands of UOC faithful honor St. Job of Pochaiv

Clergy and thousands of faithful took part in the traditional procession with the relics of St. Job on the feast commemorating their discovery.

Chernivtsi authorities plan to forcibly evict UOC community from cathedral

A Chernivtsi enforcement officer said authorities intend to forcibly evict the UOC community from the cathedral with the involvement of law enforcement.

Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra commemorates saints of Far Caves

The UOC chancellor led the Liturgy on the feast day of the venerable saints of the Kyiv Caves who rest in the Far Caves.

Poland marks 100th anniversary of Lemkos’ return to Orthodoxy

Hierarchs of the Polish Orthodox Church led celebrations in Gorlice marking the 100th anniversary of the Lemkos’ return to the Orthodox faith.