Hospital staff in Cherkasy transfer Apostle Luke Church to OCU

Fake meeting of medical staff over the “transfer” of the Apostle Luke's Church to the OCU. Photo: OCU

On December 17, 2025, employees of the Third Clinical Hospital in Cherkasy staged an unlawful vote to transfer to the OCU the community of the UOC Church of the Holy Apostle Luke, which rents premises there for worship. This was reported by the OCU, without naming the church.

According to UOJ, neither the rector nor parishioners were present at the meeting. The vote was organized by the hospital’s chief physician under pressure from the authorities.

“The mayor forced the chief physician to hold this meeting; nevertheless, many members of the medical staff refused to take part in this farce,” UOJ sources said.

It should be recalled that, under the law, decisions on organizing and holding a meeting to change a community’s confessional affiliation may be made only by members of that religious community. Neither the chief physician nor hospital staff can be considered members of a religious community merely because it rents premises in the hospital.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the OCU had seized another UOC church in Cherkasy.

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