Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC under seizure in Chernivtsi
Beaten UOC priest and group of raiders on cathedral grounds
On June 17, 2025, a group of radically inclined representatives of the OCU carried out an attempted violent takeover of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, the main cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi.
According to eyewitnesses, around 50 aggressively behaving raiders stormed the cathedral grounds, using physical force against clergy and parishioners.
Several people sustained serious injuries during the attack, some of whom were hospitalized.
In a video, a woman recounts that two of the attackers who beat a priest were detained by police. However, law enforcement officers reportedly remained largely inactive and did not intervene in the unfolding events.
The attackers blocked all entrances to the church and continued to assault anyone who tried to approach the sacred building.
Local believers say the assault was premeditated and occurred with the complete inaction of the police, despite numerous emergency calls.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that believers in Chernivtsi had spent the night in churches fearing possible seizures.
Read also
US Secretary of Defense to the Army: God extends His arms over you
Pete Hegseth stated that American military personnel are "no longer defenders" but warriors "trained to destroy the enemy."
MP demands answers from Rivne authorities over UOC charity event
Bobrovska expressed outrage that city officials allowed the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC to hold a charity festival that raised money for children with cancer.
In U.S., Archbishop of Albania leads Divine Liturgy on Triumph of Orthodoxy
The Primate of the Albanian Church served in Massachusetts and called for visible unity among Orthodox jurisdictions.
Phanar backs common Easter date with Catholics and Protestants
Theologians of the Patriarchate of Constantinople have proposed revising calendar practice and bringing the celebration of Easter closer to the Western tradition.
DESS congratulates Ukraine’s Jews on Purim
The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience addressed Ukraine’s Jewish community on the occasion of Purim.
Patriarch Bartholomew becomes honorary professor of ecology in Greece
The Ionian University of Greece has awarded Patriarch Bartholomew the honorary title of professor in its Department of Environment.