Odesa Metropolitan bars human rights activist Kokhanovska from Holy Communion

Victoria Kokhanovska at a meeting of church media in Odesa in September 2022. Photo: dialogtut.online

Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa and Izmail signed a decree banning Orthodox human rights activist Viktoriia Kokhanovska from receiving Holy Communion. The document dated June 27, 2026, is published on the official Telegram channel of the Odesa Eparchy.

It is noted that the grounds for the decision were "rudeness, loss of feminine dignity, malicious disrespect for the church hierarchy, spreading false rumors and unsubstantiated accusations, slander, degrading statements, blasphemy and insults against bishops, priests, deacons and monastics of the UOC," as well as "deliberate attempts to sow enmity between hierarchs and the faithful" and "provocative calls for the disruption of church order."

The decree states that the decision was made on the basis of the 55th Apostolic Canon and the 6th Canon of the Second Ecumenical Council.

“You are excluded from church unity and the Sacrament of Holy Communion until you bring sincere public repentance, retract the slander cited, and amend your life,” the document states.

No further details of the conflict are provided in the report.

A copy of the decree has been sent to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

As the UOJ reported, several criminal cases have been opened against human rights activist Kokhanovska.

On April 19, 2023, the investigative unit of the Pechersk Police Department initiated criminal proceedings under Part 3 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hooliganism) in connection with Viktoriia Kokhanovska and other believers opening Building No. 39 in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which had been unlawfully sealed by reserve staff and law enforcement officers. On the same day, police forcibly detained Kokhanovska near the Lavra. On April 21, she was placed under round-the-clock house arrest, and she was also formally notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code (incitement of religious enmity and hatred).

On August 15, officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) searched the human rights activist’s apartment, and the following day the SBU notified her of a new suspicion under Part 2 of Article 436-2 (denial of Russian aggression). On December 21, her apartment was searched again as part of a fourth criminal case, opened under Article 161, Part 1 (incitement of religious enmity and hatred).

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