Kirovograd RSA re-registers 2 communities of UOC without believers knowing

The Holy Protection Church, Chechelievka. Photo: Alexandria Eparchy of the UOC

The Kirovograd RSA has secretly re-registered the two religious communities of the Alexandria Eparchy of the UOC without the consent and any notice of believers. Archbishop Bogolep of Alexandria and Svetlovodsk announced this in his video message, published on the eparchy’s YouTube channel on February 4.

“Recently, we have received reliable information that, according to the order of our Kirovograd governor Andrei Balon’ two communities, namely the Holy Protection community in the village of Chechelievka in the Petrovo district and the St. Nicholas community in the Alexandrovka district, were transferred to another jurisdiction. Chances were brought to the registers of legal entities and completely different information was entered: the leaders were changed,” said the ruling bishop of the eparchy, emphasizing that the registration of communities was changed without the knowledge of believers and this is another raider seizure, which “is covered by pseudo-legal actions of state authorities”.

He recalled that the ups and downs around these parishes have been going on for almost a year, and during this time believers have experienced quite difficult situations.

“The regional administration even initiated the work of the commission, which sounds so wonderful: “the implementation of the rule of law in religious relations,” said Bishop Bogolep. “But, unfortunately, we were faced with a phenomenon that simply amazes me: we learn from accessible sources of information that our communities are reformatted, their leaders and even names are changed. And the state administration, which is hiding behind formal legal grounds, did not even bother to tell us about the so-called commission, which is the advisory body to the administration, although we have repeatedly requested this officially."

The bishop called on all the clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to periodically check the status of their religious communities in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities so that at some point it would not suddenly turn out that “through such procedures that seem to have some legal force and from the point of view of officials having the correct format, you will lose registration and will not even know that you are no longer a rector or your religious community has been re-registered.”

“Surprising is the logic of officials who, with a stroke of a pen, let themselves decide for us, believers, the fate of our community, and so easily destine us to conflicting, very unpleasant processes,” he added. “It is amazing how the minority, under some political slogans, begins to dictate its position to the majority. <...> We do not forbid anyone to anything: build your temple, organize your worship, establish a liturgical life. I cannot but call it raiding such a cunning way to mimic and turn our property into theirs, our communities into their communities.”

Stressing that the re-registered communities did not move into some new structure, the head of the Alexandria Eparchy addressed all believers with a request for prayer support and participation in the situation.

“We will appeal to the relevant law enforcement bodies, we will defend our beliefs, our interests and our rightness in the trial. The time of fear, intimidation and some kind of paralysis in us has already passed. Parishioners and rectors of these temples are going strong. We will defend the shrines; we will not allow formal raider seizures to change our lives. We remain law-abiding citizens of our country, we demand that our interests be heard and, if necessary, we reserve the right to speak about it in other formats – not only in such video messages or in some letters and constant complaints that we’ve already sent hundreds of to the administration and have not received any reaction. Obviously, we must defend our interests and justice more actively in a legitimate way. <...> We are not afraid – we pray and will face the future with confidence,” concluded Archbishop Bogolep.

As reported earlier, the court declared unlawful and cancelled the order of the Khmelnitsky RSA on the re-registration of the religious community of the UOC in the village of Stavnitsa to the OCU.

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