Parishioners of the UOC Church in Khmelnytsky region appealed to the President

Believers of the Holy Intercession Church with. Adamovka of the Khmelnytsky diocese of the UOC appealed to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the gross violation of their rights to freedom of conscience and religion by local authorities, the press service of the Khmelnitsky diocese of the UOC reports.

In particular, in their appeal, the parishioners stated that on July 19, 2023, the Khmelnitsky Regional Military Administration, by its order, re-registered the charter of the religious community of the Holy Intercession Church with. Adamovka of the Khmelnitsky diocese of the UOC in a new edition with a change in subordination to the OCU.

«Under the meaning of Article 43 of the Law of Ukraine «On Local State Administrations», the orders of the local state administration that contradict the Constitution of Ukraine, laws of Ukraine, decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, other acts of legislation or are inappropriate, wasteful, ineffective in terms of expected or actual results, may be canceled President of Ukraine,» the diocese noted.

The believers noted that the opinion of the rector and members of the religious community (359 people) was completely ignored, «by which they actually deprived the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion in an unconstitutional and illegal way.»

The parishioners called on the President of Ukraine to stop the arbitrariness of local officials aimed at splitting society from within and inciting hatred and religious enmity against true believers of the Holy Intercession Church of the UOC with. Adamovka.

«At the same time, if the parishioners of the Holy Intercession Church are not heard in their own state, they reserve the right to apply to international institutions,» the appeal stressed.