Authorities okey "transition" of Halynivka community to OCU under pressure

Community of the UOC church in Halynivka. Photo: news.church.ua

On February 4, officials of the Volyn Regional State Administration re-registered the statute of the UOC religious community in the village of Halynivka in favor of the OCU under pressure from a picket by activists in the RSA building, reports the Synodal Information and Education Department of the UOC citing the dean of the Volodymyr-Volynsky Diocese, Archpriest Sergei Guz.

"The involvement of the press in the action, the support of some deputies of the regional council and lawyers, threats of the representatives of the 'OCU', who resorted to more decisive actions, eloquently recorded on video, served its purpose. The statute of the UOC community was re-registered by the responsible persons of RSA," the dean noted.

He believes that the re-registration of the statute may become an official excuse for an ensuing raider seizure of the temple in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Halynivka, Volodymyr-Volynsky district, by activists of the OCU.

Activists picketing the building of the Volyn RSA. Photo: news.church.ua

As reported by the UOJ, on February 3 and 4, OCU activists from Halynivka picketed the Volyn RSA.

Read also

OCU parishioners in Kosmach sue each other over December 25 service

An OCU parish in Ivano-Frankivsk Region held no services either on December 25 or on January 7.

Analyst likens Bankova’s case against UOC to Stalin-era repression

Bondarenko said the way the authorities justify pressure on the Church may amount to the rhetoric of the totalitarian era.

Christmas caroling and festive concerts held across UOC eparchies

During the January celebration of the Nativity of Christ, UOC communities across the country sing carols, hold concerts, and organize charitable initiatives.

Primate: God’s law is written in every human heart

During a sermon in Boryspil, His Beatitude reminded the faithful of the meaning of Christmas and the need to live according to God’s commandments.

Media: Transgender-identified inmates sexually assault women in US prisons

Female inmates, who have been interviewed extensively as part of the research on the impact of gender ideology in custodial settings, describe the facility as “a haven for sexual predators who pretend to be transgender.”

Guardian: Bible sales in Britain hit new highs in 2025

Specialists are noting growing interest in Christian texts amid social change and a rethinking of faith’s role in contemporary society.