Chernivtsi OCU “bishop”: Russian Church barred us from entering cathedral

Feognost Bodoriak. Photo: Facebook Chernivtsi Promin

Feognost Bodoryak, head of the Chernivtsi eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), claimed at a press briefing regarding the attempted seizure of the Holy Spirit Cathedral by OCU militants that on June 17, 2025, “unknown individuals – specifically, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine – prevented believers of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine from entering the church.”

He stated that “at the request of the faithful, the first Ukrainian prayer was proclaimed in the Ukrainian church, the cathedral, the ancient church, the historic church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Our priests came to pray, and believers were gathering.” However, according to Bodoriak, “at that very moment, a group from the ROC obstructed OCU faithful from entering the church.”

Bodoriak insisted that the Holy Spirit Cathedral does not belong to him personally, but to “the community – parishioners of that church.” According to him, in February “the faithful of the city of Chernivtsi” from that cathedral “voted to leave the jurisdiction of the UOC-MP,” and since then, it has belonged to the OCU.

He did not mention that the so-called “vote” took place outside the cathedral’s fence and involved individuals unknown to the actual UOC parish. Nor did he acknowledge that, at the same time, a lawful gathering of the legitimate religious community was held inside the cathedral, attended by 4,506 parishioners.

Bodoriak emphasized that he and his colleagues “are not giving up,” and declared that the Holy Spirit Cathedral “will be in the Ukrainian Church.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that after the failed attempt by his militants to seize the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Bodoryak accused the UOC of unchristian behavior and of promoting the “Russian World” heresy.

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