OCU "bishop" bans a “priest” for attempting to transfer to another eparchy

"Hierarchs" of the OCU Ilarion Protsyk and Gabriel (Kryzyna). Photo: open sources

On February 22, 2026, the OCU’s “Bishop of Rivne and Volyn,” Gabriel Kryzyna, signed a decree banning Fr. Pavlo Sabara, rector of St. George Church in Kostopil, from serving. It is reported that Sabara violated his priestly oath, as well as Apostolic Canons 39 and 55. The decree was published on the eparchy’s Facebook page.

In the comments, parishioners of the St. George community expressed outrage at the ban and said that the community had held a meeting about transferring to the neighboring Rivne Eparchy.

For his part, Kryzyna, in the comments on one of the Telegram channels, called Sabara a “separatist,” emphasizing that Sabara had not approached him regarding a transfer to another eparchy. His comments also suggest that Sabara believes his parish, until recently, had been under the jurisdiction not of the OCU, but of the UAOC.

“For context: before the Tomos, transfers from the UAOC to the UOC–KP (and in the opposite direction) were almost weekly, because you didn’t need a letter of release; but now – NO! Parishes of the former UAOC are off the radar, as if they’re not on planet Earth,” Kryzyna wrote.

In addition, he said that there are “no misunderstandings with Met. Hilarion (within Rivne Region there are two OCU eparchies): therefore Archpriest Pavlo Sabara has not been received into the Rivne Eparchy of the OCU.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the OCU, clergy from the former UOC–KP are pressuring those from the former UAOC. According to Kryzyna, “dean” Danylo Kovtash, who belongs to the structure of “Archbishop of Rivne and Ostroh” I. Protsyk, refused to concelebrate with Kryzyna himself and also forbade other “priests” from doing so. Kryzyna demanded that Protsyk dismiss Kovtash; otherwise, he promised to file a report to Serhiy Dumenko and the “holy synod.”

Read also