Ivano-Frankivsk mayor decides to set up an "Interfaith Council of Churches"
On June 30, 2022, Ruslan Martsinkiv, the Ivano-Frankivsk mayor, initiated the creation of the Council of Churches in the city, to which he invited representatives of all denominations, religious movements and associations. The Council will operate under the Mayor's Office, reports Martsinkiv on his Facebook page.
Stating that "unity is our strength," the mayor noted that "in everyday religious life, there are negative moments, controversial issues that require joint analysis, discussion and resolution. The Council of Churches is being set up to resolve them. Among other goals of the Council, the mayor named "avoidance of conflict situations and misunderstandings, elaboration of a single correct tactic in meeting the spiritual needs of all residents of the city, observance of their rights and freedoms, co-operation with the military in the field of chaplaincy ministry.
Martsinkiv noted that "the enemy may try to tip the scales in its favour by undermining the situation inside our state, using <...> even the religious factor. He reminded that although Ivano-Frankivsk is a multi-faith city, it "observes international standards of religious freedom and current Ukrainian legislation in terms of protection of rights and freedoms of believers of all religious preferences without exception”.
"The phone number for representatives of religious organisations (dioceses, parishes) is 0968549412," said Martsinkiv. A UOJ correspondent called this number but was told that it was a private number, which had nothing to do with the mentioned organization.
Roman Martsinkiv has long urged UOC believers to join the OCU. On June 25, 2022, he "transferred" the only UOC church in Ivano-Frankivsk – the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, whose community, however, rejected his words and confirmed their loyalty to the UOC.
As the UOJ wrote, the community of the Nativity Cathedral in Ivano-Frankivsk appealed to the police because of the "transfer" to the OCU.
Read also
Sand for construction of Yermak’s residence brought from cemetery, MP says
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that sand illegally removed from a cemetery in Ukrainka was used in the construction of the elite Dynasty cooperative in Kozyn.
Italian court recognizes family with three parents as legal
In Bari, the appellate court ordered authorities to register an adoption according to which a child is listed as having two "fathers" and one mother.
Archaeologists discover biblical Bethsaida on shore of Sea of Galilee
Researchers have discovered a first-century residential house beneath the apse of a Byzantine church and a mosaic inscription mentioning the Apostle Peter.
Israeli soldiers receive jail terms for mocking statue of the Virgin Mary
Those involved in the act of sacrilege in the village of Debel will spend several weeks behind bars for desecrating a statue of the Mother of God.
Serbian Church officially receives back land of 15th-century monastery
An agreement was signed in Belgrade transferring the territory of the ancient Vojlovica Monastery to the Banat Eparchy.
Pat Daniel comments on conflict between Phanar bishop and community in Turkey
The Bulgarian Primate believes that the hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate should not have forced the Bulgarian community in Edirne to serve in Greek.