Cherkasy mayor admits seized UOC cathedral is private property
Mayor of Cherkasy Bondarenko. Photo: Facebook video screenshot
Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko stated in his video address that St. Michael's Cathedral will belong to the community of Cherkasy and will be transferred to communal ownership.
"I have instructed to begin the documentation process so that the cathedral and all buildings there will be owned by the community. These structures will be in communal ownership," he said, commenting on the situation regarding the raided cathedral of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC.
The official's words effectively mean that he acknowledged that at the time of the seizure, the Orthodox shrine was private property. According to him, there are allegedly some structures on the cathedral's grounds that once belonged to the city. However, his statement confirmed that the church itself was built and owned by UOC believers.
As reported by the UOJ, the Cherkasy mayor was elected as the head of the parish council of the seized UOC cathedral.
Read also
Church celebrates feast of Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul
On July 12, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Apostles' Fast (Peter's Fast) comes to an end for Orthodox Christians.
UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials
Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.
Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action
An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.
European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan
The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.
Church of the Presentation damaged by shelling in Russia’s Kursk Region
The newly built church in the village of Kulbaki, Glushkovo District, was completely gutted by fire after being struck by a projectile.
UOC priests take part in celebrations at Romania’s Putna Monastery
Clergy of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy took part in a festive service at the ancient shrine of the Romanian Orthodox Church.