Catholics of Kyiv Appeal to President Zelensky with a Demand to Return St. Nicholas Church to the Parish

The Parish and Trustees’ Councils of St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv have published an open letter to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him to intervene in the situation regarding the long-standing delay in transferring the church to the religious community. The authors of the letter emphasize the inadmissibility of further delays and point to the prolonged inactivity of the Ministry of Culture. The information was reported by the KyivVlada portal.

The letter states that despite several public promises and even the President’s directive in 2005, the church has still not been transferred to the Catholic parish. At the same time, the community has court decisions in its favor, but these are not being enforced, raising questions about legal certainty and respect for religious freedom in Ukraine.

«Our rights are enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine and confirmed by a court ruling. However, the Ministry of Culture not only refuses to implement these decisions but continues to appeal them,» the letter states.

The authors reminded the head of state about his letter to Pope Francis in 2020, which mentioned the decision to transfer the church to the community for permanent use. They emphasize that the Holy See has not lost interest in the issue of returning the church, which is under municipal ownership but is effectively deprived of the ability to function fully as a place of worship.

The text also mentions that the building of the church is an important historical and cultural monument, and its preservation as a religious object is of fundamental importance not only for Catholics in Ukraine but also for the international image of the state.

«The delay in transferring the church, which cannot be explained on legal grounds, causes concern among the Catholic community. This decision would not only be an act of justice but also an important step toward the establishment of European values, which Ukraine aspires to,» the letter reads.

The Parish of St. Nicholas has called on the President to take personal control of the matter and assist in resolving it, which the community has been waiting for for two decades.

We remind that the head of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Mykola Tochitsky, did not provide a direct answer to the question of when the state will be able to begin the restoration of the Catholic St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv. The official noted that money and time are needed to start the works, and the approach to restoration should be comprehensive.