Attempt to ‘transfer’ UOC church in Chopovychi revived after six-year-ago fail

Holy Trinity Church of the UOC, Chopovychi village, Zhytomyr Oblast, February 2025. Photo: suspilne

Discussions have resumed in the village of Chopovychi, Zhytomyr Oblast, regarding the potential “transfer” of the Holy Trinity Church of the Ovruch Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The initiative for the “transition” was originally pushed six years ago by the village head, but his attempt failed at the time.

According to Suspilne, a so-called “initiative group” has now emerged in Chopovychi, bringing the issue back to the agenda. Anastasiia Semeniuk, one of the figures fueling the conflict, claims she has the support of part of the village’s residents. Among them, judging by his media comments, is also the village council head, Mykhailo Filonenko.

Back in February 2019, Filonenko initiated a vote to transfer the church to the OCU at a meeting that took place without the presence of the religious community. However, UOC believers managed to thwart his attempt to seize their church.

Now, Filonenko states that local government bodies cannot interfere in the affairs of religious communities or organize a transfer process. According to him, he is merely offering consultations following a request from the initiative group. Nevertheless, the village head believes that this time, the “transfer” attempt will be successful.

“I have faith in our people. And I know that the decision will be unequivocal, the majority will vote, and they will support the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” he said, adding that he had already expressed his support for the transition to the OCU back in 2018, when he attended the Council in Kyiv that established the OCU.

The rector of the Holy Trinity parish of the UOC, Father Roman Bovsunovskyi, told reporters that no parishioners had approached him about joining the OCU. “I know my parishioners, I know who attends services, who belongs to our religious community. No one has raised this issue. If someone wants to be in the OCU, that is their personal decision. A person must decide that for themselves, not have someone else decide for them. For this, the community must be gathered, and people must be asked who wants to transfer and who does not,” he underscored, adding that those pushing for the “transfer” are not actual parishioners of the church.

As previously reported, six years ago, village head Filonenko already attempted to “transfer” the UOC church to the OCU, but his efforts were blocked by the unity of the rector and the parishioners. On February 14, 2019, in the presence of the village head, a parish meeting was held in the church, where the believers, led by their rector, Archpriest Roman, unanimously voted to remain faithful to the UOC under the omophorion of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

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