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
"Shield of Judah": Biblical name given to operations against Iran
A joint Israeli–US military operation against Iran has received a code name referencing the biblical forefather of the Jewish royal line.
In Syria, Islamic militants behead statues of Christ and Virgin Mary
Vandals beheaded statues of the Lord and the Mother of God at the entrance to the "Cave of the Virgin Mary" in the village of Al-Basiya near the coastal city of Banias in Syria.
Icon with particle of Gabriel Urgebadze's relics to be brought to Uzhhorod from Georgia
The holy icon, painted in Georgia, will be brought to the Holy Trinity Church of the Mukachevo Eparchy of the UOC.
His Beatitude celebrates Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts in Feofania
The Primate of the UOC led the Great Lenten service and blessed the koliva in the capital's monastery.
A third of young Christians in USA trust "spiritual advice" from AI, study
A Barna Group study showed: one-third of American Christians believe that AI provides advice that is no less reliable than that of a pastor.
UOC bishop celebrates Lenten service in persecuted parish of Khmelnytskyi
Metropolitan Viktor of Khmelnytskyi prayerfully supported the believers of the Dormition community, who lost their church as a result of seizure by OCU followers.