In Chernivtsi, unknown individuals “transfer” three UOC churches to OCU
A vote by unidentified individuals in Chernivtsi. Photo: Ukr.net
On May 18, 2025, in Chernivtsi, a group of unidentified individuals held a vote to transfer three parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU): the Protection (Pokrova), St. Basil, and St. Seraphim parishes. This was reported by Ukr.net, citing a post from one of the OCU groups on Facebook.
Photos from the event show around thirty people gathered in an unknown office space decorated with EU and Ukrainian flags. Under the leadership of OCU clergy, they conducted an illegal vote.
Commenters in the Facebook group noted that these individuals had no connection to the actual UOC parishes.
“Interestingly, the actual parishioners of these churches didn’t take part in the vote, and no voting took place in the churches themselves. Neither the priests nor the faithful, who have attended and served in these churches for years, knew anything about this. Why spread false information?” wrote a user named Olka.
According to UOJ sources, not a single genuine parishioner of the listed UOC churches was present at the gathering. Instead, members of OCU communities, brought together by clergy affiliated with Dumenko (Epiphanius), participated in the meeting.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the Bukovynian town of Zastavna, a mob led by an OCU cleric seized the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos.
Read also
OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk
Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.
Archimandrite Ioustinos, longtime keeper of Jacob's Well, dies in Jordan
Archimandrite Ioustinos (Mamallos), the keeper of Jacob's Well in Nablus, has died after a prolonged illness.
Pilgrim group from Kyiv Theological Seminary visits Mount Athos
KTS students are making a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Romania, Greece, Mount Athos and Italy.
UOC cathedral celebrates its patronal feast in Ternopil
The service in the cathedral of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia was led by Metropolitan Serhii of Ternopil, concelebrated by four hierarchs.
MinCulture marks centenary of Soviet-era reserve at Lavra's Refectory Church
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture presented awards to the Reserve's employees on the occasion of the anniversary at the Refectory Church of the Lavra.
Conference to mark 1700th anniversary of Christianity adoption held in Georgia
In Georgia, representatives of the Church and the state noted the defining role of Christianity in the country's cultural development.