Chernivtsi cathedral parishioners ask police for protection, document

UOC parishioners after reclaiming their cathedral from OCU militants. Photo: UOJ

The UOJ has received documents indicating that the faithful of the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi had warned law enforcement agencies in advance about the planned seizure of the temple by OCU representatives. However, the police ignored these appeals.

According to the documents, on February 20, 2025, the community sent an information request to the head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, Ruslan Zaparaniuk, and on March 27, a letter to the deputy head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Chernivtsi region, Sviatoslav Kishlar.

In their appeals, the faithful detailed the violations committed during the so-called parish meeting on February 16, 2025, on Kobylianska Street outside the cathedral's fence. According to them, this "meeting" was fictitious: it was held not in the church but on the street, organized not by the rector but by the People's Artist Ivan Derda, who "had never been a parishioner of any of the churches". The absurdity of the situation, in which "meeting" attendees were deciding the fate of three UOC churches, was emphasized.

"The number of participants declared in the protocol of the 'meeting' (2653 people) was greatly exaggerated, as there were about 500 people standing on the street," the document states. It is also noted that "the signatures of the so-called attendees were mostly collected in advance in different places and by deceit," and "a significant part of the participants of the 'meeting' were brought from the Ivano-Frankivsk region."

Simultaneously with the fictitious “meeting” held outside, a true parish assembly took place inside the cathedral itself. “More than 4,200 parishioners, by a show of hands and signatures, affirmed their unwillingness to join the OCU and their intention to remain within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the documents state.

The community's appeal to the deputy head of the Main Directorate of the National Police contained a direct warning: "On social media, supporters and clergy of the OCU claim that the seizure of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, as well as the St. Nicholas and Sts. Peter and Paul Churches in the city of Chernivtsi, is expected to take place in the near future."

"We sincerely ask you to ensure the protection of the legal rights of the parishioners of the cathedral and other churches, to prevent your subordinates from participating in possible provocations, and to prevent police inaction in the event of a possible forcible seizure of religious buildings," the faithful appealed to the police.

Despite these warnings, on June 17, an attempt was made to seize the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi, during which the police actually supported the actions of the OCU representatives against the legitimate parishioners of the church.

The documents testify that the UOC faithful had informed law enforcement agencies in advance and in writing about the impending violations of the law, but their appeals were ignored.

As reported, after the brawl staged by OCU militants during the seizure of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, the community filed a complaint with the State Bureau of Investigation against the deputy head of the city's police, Kishlar.

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