Unknown individuals vote for joining two UOC parishes to OCU in Kelmentsi
Unknown individuals voting for the transfer of UOC parishes to the OCU in the town of Kelmentsi. Photo: OCU
Chernivtsi media outlets have been spreading information that two religious communities of the UOC in the town of Kelmentsi decided on March 1, 2025, to leave the UOC and join the OCU. However, the Chernivtsi Eparchy has stated that this information is not accurate.
According to a Bukovynian OCU website, 470 "registered members of the community" allegedly voted in favor of joining their structure.
The UOC Eparchy underscores that the parishioners of the churches dedicated to Archangel Michael and the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God in Kelmentsi have remained faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"The parishioners did not participate in the OCU rallies and artistic-educational events, nor did they authorize anyone to speak or make decisions on their behalf," the statement reads.
As previously reported by the UOJ, nearly 600 parishioners of St. Demetrius Church in Panka, Bukovyna, reaffirmed their loyalty to the UOC.
Read also
U.S. House of Representatives passes ban on sex-change surgeries for minors
The lower house of Congress supported an initiative limiting medical interventions that could have irreversible consequences for the health of minors.
Armenian Church to appeal to international bodies over government pressure
The decision was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council in Etchmiadzin against the backdrop of criminal cases, pressure on the clergy, and the state's attempts to interfere in church life.
Pashinyan's supporters attempt to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia
The confrontation around the Armenian Apostolic Church intensified after rebellious hierarchs called for the Catholicos's resignation and attempted to exert forceful pressure in Etchmiadzin.
Persecuted community of Maliatyntsi celebrates first patronal feast after seizure
In Bukovyna, the faithful of the St. Nicholas community in the village of Maliatyntsi celebrated the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia for the first time after the church seizure.
European authorities downplay scale of Christian persecution, report says
Human rights defenders reported an increase in attacks on believers in the EU and pointed out that official statistics do not reflect the real level of anti-Christian hostility.
Mukachevo Eparchy bishops congratulate orphaned children on St Nicholas Day
Metropolitan Theodore and Bishop Hilarion visited the “New Family” children’s shelter in Uzhhorod.