Community of Pasika village in Transcarpathia unanimously votes to remain part of UOC

Parishioners of St. Michael’s Church in the village of Pasika, Zakarpattia region, at a general meeting of the religious community unanimously confirmed their decision to remain in the bosom of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The believers once again opposed the transfer to the jurisdiction of the OCU, reaffirming their loyalty to the Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy.

According to the Telegram channel «Dozor», the meeting took place on April 19, 2026 and was caused by attempts by supporters of the OCU to initiate the issue of re-subordination of the church. Despite external pressure, the Orthodox Christians of the village expressed a firm position to maintain the existing canonical status of the parish.

The conflict situation around the church escalated back in February, when its former rector Vitaliy Lychak left the UOC and joined Epifaniy’s structure. However, even after the priest’s departure, the community decided not to change jurisdiction. The current meeting demonstrated that the position of the parishioners remains unchanged, and their commitment to the canonical Church has only strengthened over the past months.

Earlier, we reported that in the village of Bezuglivka, Chernihiv region, representatives of the OCU carried out a forceful seizure of St. Michael’s Church, which belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The incident took place on April 16, 2026, on Holy Thursday, after a long process of illegal re-registration of the religious community.