UOC hierarch claims illegal re-registration of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sloviansk

The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Paisiy of Kostiantyniv, issued an official appeal in which he called the re-registration of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sloviansk illegal. According to the hierarch, the attempt to transfer the shrine to the structure of the OCU was made against the will of the real community, which officially confirmed its loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

According to the Dozor Telegram channel, Bishop Paisiy denied the information about the alleged change in the community’s leadership. The bishop emphasized that the canonical parish held a legal meeting in December, at which the majority of believers spoke in favor of remaining part of the UOC. At the same time, signatures in support of the transfer to another jurisdiction, according to the archbishop, were collected outside the church — «from houses, apartments and entrances.»

The hierarch also noted that back in November, the city and regional authorities were officially notified that the persons initiating the transfer process were not connected with the real parish life of the cathedral. However, these arguments were ignored during the registration of the new structure. The UOC emphasizes that the spiritual life of the community continues despite administrative decisions, and that such attempts to put pressure on the Church in the historical perspective do not have long-term consequences.