In Chernivtsi, members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have denied reports of a court ruling regarding the Holy Spirit Cathedral

In Chernivtsi, members of the Chernivtsi-Bukovina Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have stated that local media reports regarding the court ruling on the Holy Spirit Cathedral are inaccurate. According to them, reports claiming that the appellate court allegedly overturned the transfer of the cathedral to the OCU do not correspond to the content of the court document and may mislead the public.

It is reported that believers analyzed the text of the ruling, published in the state registry, and concluded that reports with such headlines create a false impression of the cathedral’s legal status. In particular, they point to sections 7.4 and 7.5 of the document, which, according to them, concern the issue of the forced eviction of the UOC religious community in favor of OCU supporters.

The statement also notes that a lawyer for the OCU has already submitted a request to the enforcement authorities to remove obstacles preventing its supporters from accessing the cathedral. Against this backdrop, representatives of the community believe that the dissemination of information about a court ruling allegedly favorable to the UOC may be an attempt to “lull the vigilance” of the faithful ahead of possible further actions surrounding the church.

Separately, the publication recalls the events of February 16, 2025. According to the source, a gathering took place near the walls of the Holy Spirit Cathedral at that time, which UOC supporters call a sham, since, as claimed, about 300 unidentified individuals voted in favor of transferring to the OCU, claiming there were “two thousand votes.”

On the same day, according to the faithful, the active congregation of the Holy Spirit Cathedral held its own meeting, at which 4,506 parishioners unanimously reaffirmed their loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. Representatives of the congregation emphasize that they consider any attempts to re-register the cathedral and forcibly seize its property to be illegal.

The situation surrounding the Holy Spirit Cathedral remains a subject of public attention. Believers of the UOC warn of the risks of new acts of force, while the legal assessment of the parties’ further steps must be determined by competent authorities and courts in accordance with the procedure established by law.

As a reminder, we previously reported thaton January 21, 2026, the Commercial Court of Chernivtsi Oblastissued a ruling stating that the Administration of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is obligated to vacate and transfer to the OCU the Holy Spirit Cathedral, as well as the hotel and boiler room located at 85 Holovna Street, Chernivtsi. The court’s decision is enforceable upon the signing of the property transfer and acceptance act.