The church of the Romanian-speaking parish of the UOC was sealed for the first time in Chernivtsi

On August 23, 2024, the local authorities in Chernivtsi restricted access to the Church of the Three Saints, the burial vault of the Bukovynian metropolitans of the Romanian-speaking parish of the UOC. The Church of the Three Saints, on which the Chernivtsi authorities arbitrarily changed the locks, is an architectural monument and is located on the territory of the municipal cemetery. The abbot and believers were restricted access to the shrine despite the fact that they restored the temple and worked on its preservation. About it reports the Telegram-channel of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna diocese of the UOC.

“Tore off the locks and sealed the temple-tomb of the Bukovyna Metropolitans in the city cemetery of the city of Chernivtsi. On August 23, 2024 the management of the city cemetery, located on the territory of the city cemetery near the food market “Green” sawed off the locks and sealed the church-tomb of the Bukovynian Metropolitans and deprived the Romanian-speaking religious community in honor of the Three Saints, headed by the rector Archpriest Christofor, of the opportunity to perform services in the temple, which they restored, painted and cared for. We see how the authorities deliberately limit the rights and infringe on the Romanian-speaking minority in Ukraine,” – the statement said.

Representatives of the parish, outraged by such lawlessness of the Ukrainian authorities, say they will prepare an appeal to the Romanian president to influence the situation.

“First the authorities refused to register a vicariate for the Romanian Orthodox Church, now they have begun to seal Romanian-speaking parishes… what next? Most likely parishioners will prepare an appeal to the President of Romania”, – added in the diocese.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Ukrainian government represented by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience refused the Romanian Patriarchate in the registration of the “Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, which the Romanian Orthodox Church founded at its Synod in February 2024. According to Kiev, the idea contradicts “Orthodox ecclesiological localism”.