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

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.

Medieval сhurch сrumbles as Culture Ministry сites missing agreement

The 14th–15th-century St. Nicholas Church in Chesnyky, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, is falling into disrepair.

Poland сondemns Lviv Regional Council's decision to declare 2007 year of UPA

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the Lviv Regional Council's decision to dedicate 2027 to the UPA and Roman Shukhevych is harmful to Ukraine.

OCU seeks court recognition of ownership of seized Cherkasy cathedral

The Cherkasy Regional Commercial Court will hear an OCU lawsuit seeking ownership of St. Michael's Cathedral, which was seized from UOC believers.

Lithuanian bishop: Ukraine is no model for believers' rights

Vicar of Vilnius Diocese voices concern over attempts to import Ukraine's religious conflict into Lithuania.

Hundreds of believers honor St. Alexis of Carpatho-Russia in Khust Eparchy

At the St. Nicholas Monastery in the village of Iza-Karputlash, Metropolitan Mark of Khust led a festive liturgy, concelebrated by six metropolitans, five archbishops and three bishops.

Court upholds UOC parish appeal in Voloshky over OCU switch dispute

The Northern Commercial Court of Appeal has upheld the appeal of the St. Nicholas parish of the UOC in the village of Voloshky, Volyn region, in a dispute over a transfer to the OCU.