Chernivtsi authorities transfer previously sealed church of Romanian-speaking UOC parish to OCU

On August 27, 2024, the Chernivtsi City Council decided to transfer the Three Saints’ Tomb Church of the Bukovyna Metropolitans from the Romanian-speaking parish of the UOC to the OCU. The city council made this decision “to free it from the destructive influence of Russia.” This was reported on the official Facebook page of the city council.

“For almost a year, the lawsuits to free the chapel-tomb of the Bukovinian metropolitans at the cemetery on Zelena Street lasted, and eventually the municipal property returned to the community. So today, the executive committee approved a draft agreement on cooperation with the Department of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) on the preservation of the architectural monument of local importance, the chapel-tomb of the Bukovyna Metropolitans. It will be used for the religious needs of the OCU. Approved a new version of the Regulation on rewarding young scientists with personalized scholarships from the city council for high achievements in the community. Such a decision will not only support and motivate young researchers, but will also become an important investment in our future,” – the statement says.

As reported, on August 23, 2024, the local authorities of Chernivtsi restricted access to the Three Saints’ Church-tomb of the Bukovinian metropolitans for 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 rector and parishioners were denied access to the shrine, despite the fact that they were restoring the church and working to preserve it.