In Bukovynian village of Banyliv-Pidhirny, two UOC temples "join" OCU
The Ascension Church of the UOC in the village of Banyliv-Pidhirny, Chernivtsi region. Photo: Facebook
On May 4, 2025, in the village of Banyliv-Pidhirny, Chernivtsi region, OCU followers, with the support of local authorities, held a territorial assembly during which they "transferred" two UOC churches to the structure of Epifaniy Dumenko. The news about this illegal raid was shared on Facebook by the notorious "chaplain" of the OCU, Roman Hryshchuk.
The temples in question are the Ascension of the Lord and Holy Spirit Churches of the UOC.
According to Hryshchuk, these two Orthodox communities "voted at their assembly to leave the Moscow Patriarchate."
However, in the photos and videos shared by Hryshchuk, it is clear that the meeting took place not in the churches but in the square, and the actual parishioners of the mentioned churches did not participate in the gathering.
As reported by the UOJ, Epifaniy Dumenko, the head of the OCU, awarded his Bukovynian cleric Roman Hryshchuk, who had been involved in the nighttime breaking into the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in Verkhni Stanivtsi, as well as organizing fraudulent church transfers from the UOC to the OCU.
Read also
In Nigeria, 130 hostages abducted from Catholic school released
The country's authorities reported the release of the last hostages – victims of the attack on the Catholic school.
Zelensky wishes death to Putin in his Christmas message
The presidential address included the phrase "May he parish", said in the context of a Christmas wish.
Hungarian authorities to fund restoration of Serbian Church monastery
The Government of Hungary has allocated funds for the reconstruction of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos Monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Zelensky: All Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on the same date
Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a new video with Christmas greetings.
Instead of Christmas: Zelensky declares January 7 Programmer’s Day
Zelensky decided that January 7 is the most appropriate date for introducing a new holiday.
OCU equates UOC’s losses from “transfers” with losses caused by occupation
In Dumenko’s circle, the losses suffered by the UOC due to so-called “voluntary transfers” to the OCU were equated with losses resulting from occupation and the re-subordination of communities to the Russian Orthodox Church.