Dumenko: UOC communities belong to the OCU, although they do not want it
Sergei (Epiphany) Dumenko, Patriarch Bartholomew and Petro Poroshenko. Photo: gov.ua
In an interview with Radio Svoboda, the head of the OCU, Sergei (Epiphany) Dumenko, stated that absolutely all communities in Ukraine, including those in the UOC, belong to the OCU.
Those who "do not recognize this reality," according to Dumenko, create a "certain canonical collapse." The fact that the believers of the UOC "temporarily want to belong to the ROC (as Dumenko calls the UOC – Ed.)" is "canonically wrong."
Speaking about the "transitions" of the UOC communities into its structure, Dumenko complained that "the situation has suspended a bit lately," and now there are only "isolated cases". But at the same time, he claims that it is wrong to call these transitions as transitions, because “they (UOC communities – Ed.) are actually based in Ukraine. Moreover, according to the decisions that were made by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, they all belong to the OCU."
Earlier, the head of the OCU said that there is a problem with the registration of religious communities in the country and insisted on the creation of a separate unit within the RSA.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.