In Chernivtsi, OCU “transferred” all city churches of UOC to its subordination

On February 16, 2025, a so-called meeting of the territorial community was held in Chernivtsi, initiated by representatives and supporters of the OCU. During the event, unidentified persons held a vote, as a result of which three city churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were “transferred” to the OCU. Thus, the Holy Spirit Cathedral, St. Nicholas Cathedral and St. Peter and Paul Church of the Chernivtsi Diocese of the UOC fell under the raider scheme.

It is reported that in order to implement their plans, representatives of the OCU used their favorite raider scheme, through which people who have absolutely nothing to do with a particular religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are presented as members of the territorial community, which, according to the new legislative initiatives of the Ukrainian government in the field of religion, allegedly gives them the right to influence the confessional affiliation of a particular religious community of the UOC, including real estate. This mechanism is specifically designed to simplify the procedures for seizing churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Thus, at the event, which was led by the “prominent Chernivtsi resident” Ivan Derda, the people present with the flags of Ukraine and the OUN-UPA voted “wholesale” for the transfer of the three main churches of the Chernivtsi Diocese of the UOC to the OCU. The head of the local diocese of the OCU, Theognost Bodoryak, was appointed as the head of the Holy Spirit Cathedral.

In turn, the real members of the religious communities of these churches refused to participate in the profanations organized by representatives of the local branch of the OCU. For example, the parishioners of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the UOC, during the event, were inside the building, fearing a forceful seizure of the church. However, following the logic of the seizures of UOC churches in other regions that have already taken place under the above raider scheme, the next step of the OCU supporters is likely to be a violent raider attack on the churches they have allegedly taken under their control.

It is worth noting that in October 2024, the infamous seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC took place in a similar fashion. Then, after a similar “territorial meeting,” the radicals hired by the OCU attacked the hierarch, priests and believers of the UOC and, after beating them, seized the church and the premises of the diocesan administration.