UOC community in Yurkivtsi refutes fake claim about its transfer to OCU

Parishioners in Yurkivtsi confirmed their fidelity to the UOC. Photo: screenshot from a video of the Chernivtsi–Bukovyna Eparchy group on Facebook

On October 22, 2022, in the village of Yurkivtsi, Chernivtsi Region, an illegal vote was held at a territorial community meeting to change the jurisdictional affiliation of the church dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica in favor of the OCU. At a meeting of the religious community, parishioners of St. Demetrius Church confirmed their fidelity to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This was reported by the press service of the Chernivtsi Eparchy on its Facebook page.

At the territorial community meeting, the rector of the parish dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the village of Yurkivtsi, Archpriest Petro Kostiuk, was present. He told OCU supporters that, under current legislation, only parishioners have the right to decide the fate of the church.

The religious community of St. Demetrius Church had already held a meeting in the church on October 14, 2022. At that meeting, the parishioners unanimously – 322 people – voted to remain faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the illegal vote by members of the territorial community still took place. It was attended by citizens who are not members of the religious community of St. Demetrius Church. As a result, some media outlets spread a fake claim that the St. Demetrius parish of the UOC had transferred to the OCU.

In response, the parishioners of the church dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, together with their rector, recorded a video address in which they refuted the fake “transfer” narrative and declared their fidelity to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the village of Pishchiv, Dumenko’s supporters seized a UOC church.

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