Kyiv City Council deputy declares goal to "clear Kyiv region of UOC"

Roman Titikalo, a deputy of the Kyiv Regional Council from the European Solidarity party, said that the regional council’s task is to «cleanse the Kyiv region of the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).» According to him, this is necessary to ensure the spiritual independence and Ukrainian identity of the region. Titikalo called for the transfer of UOC communities to the OCU to avoid legal uncertainty in the event of a ban on the UOC. This was reported by Kyivshchyna 24/7.

Titikalo noted that the regional council plans to audit the property of the UOC communities, which, according to him, is communal property. He also said that the regional state administration has already instructed local communities to check religious organizations that are subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate and collect information about each parish. After that, it is planned to «work targetedly» with each church.

The deputy emphasized that the regional council is acting within the framework of the Constitution of Ukraine and in the interests of national security. Titikalo also noted that the transition to the OCU is not mandatory, but did not specify what other denominations are considered as alternatives. According to him, there are 407 UOC communities in the Kyiv region, and the task of the regional council is to conduct an audit and determine the next steps.

Earlier, the Kyiv Regional Council adopted a decision aimed at liquidating the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region. This decision was made in the context of existing legislation that prohibits the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, the Kyiv Regional Council undertakes to facilitate the so-called transitions of UOC communities to the OCU in every possible way.