Chernovtsy Eparchy reports violation of UOC believers’ rights to OSCE

The Chernovtsy Eparchy reported the violation of UOC believers’ rights by the authorities to the OSCE

The Chernovtsy-Bukovinina Eparchy of the UOC reported to the OSCE Monitoring Mission on the activities of the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration authorities on the violent reassignment of religious communities to the OCU, reports the UOC Information and Education Department.

The eparchy notified international observers to the Chernovtsy region of the orders of the acting chairman of the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration Mikhail Pavliuk to register the statutes of the UOC parishes “in the new version” with the aim of changing the affiliation involuntary, in violation of the rights of believers.

The priests of the UOC said that the RSA’s order No. 312-p provoked a religious conflict at the St. Nicholas Church and incited confrontation between the residents of the village of Dobrinovtsy of the Zastavna district, Chernovtsy region.

Also, the OSCE was informed that the decision had been prepared without the consent of the head (a person who has the right to perform legal actions on behalf of a legal entity without a power of attorney, including signing agreements) and the religious community. The order was issued against the decisions of the meeting of the religious community held on March 10, 2019, to remain under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry.

The eparchy representatives are convinced that the actions of the acting chairman of the Chernovtsy Regional State Administration Mikhail Pavliuk incite religious hatred in Bukovina.

We recall that on April 15, a meeting took place between clerics of the Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy of the UOC and the head of the Chernovtsy RSA concerning the signed Order No. 312-p of March 29 about the registration of the “new version” of the statute of the religious community in the village of Dobrinovtsy.

During the conversation with the representatives of the Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy, Mikhail Pavliuk noted that he is “ready to hear every Bukovinian and in his activity is guided by the laws of Ukraine”.

As the UOJ reported, in protest against the actions of the Chernovtsy RSA, the UOC has decided to hold an all-eparchial religious procession with prayer standing and filed a lawsuit against the regional authorities. The Chernovtsy-Bukovina Eparchy is preparing a lawsuit in court and prayer standing in connection with numerous violations of the rights of believers and freedom of religion in Bukovina.

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