OCU demands not to transfer land with St Lavrenty of Chernihiv house to UOC

The house of St. Lavrenty of Chernihiv. Photo: Chas Chernihivskyi

The rector of the Church of St. John the Warrior in the Chernihiv Eparchy of the OCU, Yevhen Orda, appealed to the deputies of the Chernihiv City Council, urging them to prevent the long-term lease of the land plot where the house of St. Lavrenty of Chernihiv is located. This was reported by Chernihiv Time.

According to the priest, the decision is scheduled to be brought up at the City Council session on November 19. Orda warned that the plot could be leased to a religious organization affiliated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). He referred specifically to the charitable organization "Care and Faith", headed by former secretary of the Chernihiv Eparchy of the UOC, Archpriest Fedir Mandziuk.

"The adoption of such a decision would effectively mean supporting the Moscow Church, which serves as a foundation for spreading the ideology of the 'Russian World' in Ukraine," emphasized the OCU "priest". Orda also called on Acting Mayor Oleksandr Lomako to publicly refute any plans to transfer the plot.

Archpriest Fedir Mandziuk, who heads the charitable organization, is a cleric of the Chernihiv Eparchy of the UOC and the rector of the church complex "House of St. Lavrenty of Chernihiv," located at 38 Illinska Street. Recently, the UOC petitioned for a lease of this 0.437-hectare plot for the needs of the complex.

Orda stressed that this move could strengthen the position of the UOC and suggested leasing the land to the OCU instead, which he deemed more appropriate under current conditions.

As previously reported by the UOJ, in early October, OCU cleric Yevhen Orda publicly accused the Chernihiv authorities of facilitating the "spiritual expansion of Russian Orthodoxy."

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