16 UOC parishes in Bukovyna "transferred" to OCU in 2025

UOC churches in Chernivtsi. Photo: raskolam.net

Since the beginning of 2025, 16 meetings have been held in Chernivtsi Oblast regarding the "transfer" of parishes from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). This was reported by the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration, according to Ukrinform.

"Since the beginning of 2025 until now, meetings have been held in 16 religious communities of the region to change canonical subordination, as a result of which they confirmed their transition from the UOC to the OCU," stated officials from the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration (RSA).

They also noted that as of March 7, orders had already been issued to register the charters of religious organizations in a new edition (reflecting the "transition" from the UOC to the OCU) for 13 religious communities.

In particular, four religious communities in Chernivtsi have been registered with the OCU, along with two communities in the town of Hlyboka and one each in the city of Zastavna and the villages of Komarivtsi, Dubove, Maliatyntsi, Dubivtsi, Ust-Putyla, and Pidzakharychi.

The department reported that all applications for registering charters in a new edition this year have been approved.

As the UOJ previously reported, the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration had earlier stated that it lacks mechanisms to monitor the legitimacy of the so-called transfers of religious communities from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. According to Olena Bodnar, head of the Culture Department of the Chernivtsi RSA, the administration does not verify whether a meeting actually took place or what decisions were made at it. The administration requires only the participation of the so-called head of the meeting, who must submit the necessary package of documents to the RSA.

Additionally, the official claimed that her department does not register decisions of community meetings that have confirmed their loyalty to the UOC.

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