UOC hierarch tells UN about seizure of Cherkasy Cathedral

On March 28, 2025, the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kaniv, took part in a meeting of the 58th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council. The bishop spoke about the violation of the rights of UOC believers and the seizure of the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the UOC in Cherkasy, during which he, representatives of the diocesan clergy and believers suffered personally. This is reported by the website of the NGO Public Advocacy.

«In the presence of the President of the UN Human Rights Council Jurg Lauber, UN High Commissioner Volker Türk, diplomats of UN member states, representatives of international organizations, the Metropolitan declared that a crime had been committed in Ukraine against the believers of the UOC, namely, the forcible seizure of the UOC Cathedral in Cherkasy, the brutal beating of believers, the use of weapons by the invaders, the theft of money and other property. The cathedral is the registered property of the Cherkasy Diocese of the UOC, which is confirmed by documents. However, despite the legally obvious fact of the crime, the Cathedral was not only seized, but also transferred to representatives of another denomination — the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, who openly perform religious services there,» — the NGO said in a statement.

It is also reported that Metropolitan Theodosius called on the UN Special Rapporteurs, the UN High Commissioner, diplomats of the UN member states to help stop mass crimes against the UOC believers and suggested that in connection with the beginning of peace talks on Ukraine, the restoration of justice in this case and the return of the Cathedral to its rightful owner could be the first steps towards ending the persecution of the UOC in Ukraine and returning the state to respect for human rights.

We recently reported that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom published a report on the observance of religious freedom in the world for 2024. The document pays special attention to the situation with the violation of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The report points out that the anti-church law No. 3894, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in August 2024, risks establishing in Ukraine a form of collective responsibility of an entire religious organization for the beliefs of its individual members.