Cherkasy bishop to mayor: Why do you need our churches if they stand empty?
Metropolitan Theodosiy, Mayor of Cherkasy Anatoliy Bondarenko, and UOC believers. Photo: Screenshot from the Cherkasy Eparchy video
On May 6, 2025, Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv, addressing the Mayor of Cherkasy Anatoliy Bondarenko during a conversation with parishioners of the UOC's St. Andrew's Church, asked why the last remaining churches of the faithful are being taken away when those previously seized remain empty.
Mayor Bondarenko attempted to explain to the Orthodox Christians that they were being evicted from their sanctuaries legally and went on to tell them that they were praying incorrectly.
Metropolitan Theodosiy, commenting on these words, reminded him that the previously seized cathedral now stands empty.
"You have got all the churches in the OCU's ownership now. Why are you taking away the last of our shrines? The cathedral stands empty!" the UOC hierarch said.
In response, the mayor only suggested that they should appeal to law enforcement agencies, claiming that "everyone is acting according to the law."
As previously reported by the UOJ, the mayor of Cherkasy told the faithful how they should pray if they wanted to be allowed back into the church.
Read also
Court rules to transfer Holy Spirit Cathedral of UOC in Chernivtsi to OCU
The Commercial Court of the Chernivtsi Region has ordered the UOC to vacate the Holy Spirit Cathedral and transfer it to a fictitious OCU community.
Lviv court denies Protestant pastor the right to perform non-armed service
A pastor from Stryi requested changes to mobilization conditions due to religious beliefs, however the court found the demands unfounded.
Scandal occurs at Anglican Archbishopess' enthronement
During the official ceremony in London, a priest's public disagreement with the appointment of the first female primate was immediately suppressed, and the protester was removed from the cathedral.
Zelensky's ex-press secretary: Yermak practices magic
Yuliia Mendel spoke about foreign magicians, rituals at a cemetery, and dolls made with water from corpses.
During Dumenko's "service", Huz threatens nuns of Zymne Convent
The MP publicly declared the state's readiness to "act" against the Zymne and Nyzkynychi monasteries of the UOC in Volyn.
MP on expulsion of UOC from Volodymyr cathedral: “No katsaps here anymore”
After the first “service” of the OCU in the Dormition Cathedral of Volodymyr, taken from the UOC, Member of Parliament Ihor Huz delivered a political statement прямо from the ambo.