In Volyn, OCU, authorities, and police discuss how to seize UOC churches

Meeting of the temporary commission in Lutsk "on monitoring the implementation of Volyn Regional Council decisions banning UOC activities." Photo: Facebook page of Volyn Regional Council

On December 30, an expanded meeting of the commission "on monitoring the implementation of Volyn Regional Council decisions banning the activities of the UOC-MP and preventing its use of religious buildings that are state architectural monuments" was held in Lutsk. The meeting included deputies, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Volyn Regional Council Chair Hryhoriy Nedopad, his First Deputy Yuriy Polishchuk, Deputy Head of the Volyn Regional State Administration Taras Shkiter, and law enforcement officials. This was reported on the Facebook page of the Volyn Regional Council.

The primary focus of the meeting was the situation surrounding the Dormition Cathedral of the UOC in the city of Volodymyr. According to Deputy Head of the Regional State Administration Taras Shkiter, "The religious community has filed an appeal, and as of today, the appellate proceedings have not yet been initiated."

The head of the temporary commission, Volodymyr Bondar, speculated that a court ruling would not come soon. In his view, the authorities "must, in cooperation with law enforcement and judicial bodies, do everything possible within the framework of the law to resolve the issue." He asserted that the matter was being addressed "not from the perspective of denominations, but solely from the standpoint of legal compliance."

The commission also discussed a complaint from the OCU regarding their inability to seize the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kamin-Kashyrskyi.

"State officials performing their duties were denied access to this church three times. In response, law enforcement agencies opened a criminal case, but no suspicions have been officially announced yet," lamented Commission Chair Bondar.

The commission members asked the police to report at the next meeting on how they could assist in taking control of the Orthodox shrine.

Additionally, the OCU reported their failure to evict a UOC priest from his home in the village of Skulin, Kovel district. OCU representative Olha Boiko claimed that the priest refused to "transition" to their jurisdiction. To evict the clergyman from his residence, they appealed to the police but have not yet received a response.

The commission decided to contact the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in the region to conduct a fire safety inspection of the house where the UOC priest resides.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the UOC is contesting the court's decision regarding the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr.

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