Chernivtsi Eparchy breaks down why transitions to the OCU are a deception

Fraudulent OCU gathering in Kelmentsi. Photo: OCU

The faithful of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) analyzed in detail on Facebook why the so-called "transitions" to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in Bukovyna are fraudulent and deceptive. As an example, they examined the attempted illegal transfer of two churches in Kelmentsi: the Church of Archangel Michael and the parish in honor of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God.

Here are the six key arguments from their insight.

Fact One: Lack of Official Authorization

The meeting that took place on March 1, 2025, which OCU representatives are trying to present as a religious community gathering, was officially registered with the authorities as a prayer service for fallen soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "There was no official announcement of a gathering or an invitation for religious community representatives to participate. According to Ukrainian law, a permit must be obtained from the district state administration for holding a mass meeting. At the time of the gathering, such a permit had not been issued by the Dniester District State Administration, according to its head, Vitalii Yakubenko," the statement reads.

Fact Two: Absence of UOC Parishioners

None of the parishioners from the Church of Archangel Michael or the Church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God were present at the prayer service. "In other words, none of the parishioners of these two parishes gave their consent to change the jurisdiction of their churches," highlights the analysis.

Fact Three: Signatures from Members of a Completely Different Community

The signatures on a dubious document were provided by members of an entirely different religious organization – "The Religious Community of St. Job the Long-Suffering Church of the Chernivtsi Eparchy of the OCU." "This is a completely different religious community, which has no connection to the aforementioned parishes. Accordingly, they have no right to make decisions regarding their jurisdiction!" the diocese asserts.

The diocese also noted that this religious organization, registered at Bessarabian Street in Kelmentsi, was allocated a land plot for church construction by the Kelmentsi Town Council in September 2024.

Fact Four: Lack of Legal Grounds

Since all the aforementioned actions were unlawful, there are no legal grounds for re-registering the churches belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "Therefore, the 'joyful' news about the supposed change in the jurisdiction of our churches, spread by OCU activists in the media, is also fake," the authors of the analysis conclude.

Fact Five: Legitimate Decisions of UOC Parish Meetings

In contrast to these unlawful actions, the diocese highlighted the fact that lawful gatherings of the religious communities of the Church of Archangel Michael and the Church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God were held on March 2, 2025. At these meetings, parishioners expressed their "firm will to remain faithful to the Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine."

Fact Six: Numerical Superiority of UOC Faithful

A telling fact is that only 470 residents of Kelmentsi "voted" at the OCU gathering for "changing parish affiliation." Meanwhile, the number of UOC believers was significantly higher – 726 parishioners from the Church of Archangel Michael and 964 parishioners from the Church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God, totaling 1,690 people.

"Summarizing the above, we can confidently state that our faithful are being deliberately misled by deceitful and dishonest words. People who are inclined toward force, deceit, fraud, and self-interest, and who violate God's commandments through their actions, cannot be true preachers of the Word of God or shepherds for the faithful," the diocese concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that unknown individuals in Kelmentsi voted for the transfer of two UOC parishes to the OCU.

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