UOC community in Hlyboka seeks protection from U.S. Vice President

Parishioners of the Intercession Church in Hlyboka appealed to Vance for help. Photo: Pershyi Kozatskyi

On February 17, 2025, the religious community of the UOC's Intercession Church in the town of Hlyboka, Chernivtsi region, sent an appeal to U.S. Vice President James David Vance, requesting protection of their religious rights. A video with the text of the appeal was published on the Pershyi Kozatskyi YouTube channel.

In their appeal, the believers described the events of February 14, 2025, when about 200 parishioners of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga Church of the OCU held a 20-minute meeting, during which they announced the "transfer" of the Intercession Church and the Exaltation of the Cross Church to the OCU. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 UOC parishioners who arrived at the meeting site were not allowed to register or vote.

"We were compelled to hold our own vote, in which 935 community members unanimously decided to remain within the Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry," the appeal states.

The believers also reported that before the meeting, unknown individuals went door-to-door in the town, collecting votes from people who were not even members of the Intercession Church community but belonged to the OCU parish.

"We know that fake documents for our church are being prepared, followed by a violent assault that could result in Christian bloodshed, as seen in the villages of Lenkivtsi, Vyslovivtsi, Zadubrivka, Rynhach, and others," the UOC parishioners warned.

The community is asking for assistance in ensuring their right to freedom of religion and the ability to conduct services in their church without hindrance.

As a reminder, the UOC community in Storozhynets has also sought help from the U.S. and Romania. Previously, believers in Dubivtsi appealed to the U.S., and parishioners of the UOC church in Pidzakharychi also reached out to J.D. Vance.

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