In Chernivtsi, a UOC Metropolitan supported the community threatened by the OCU to lose their church

On May 18, 2025, Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna visited the parishioners of the Vasylivka Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi to show support amid threats of losing the sanctuary. The day before, the faithful learned about plans by representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to forcibly take the church. This was reported by Dozor on the «First Cossack» channel.

Addressing the believers, Metropolitan Meletiy urged them to remain calm and not give in to anger, emphasizing that inner peace is the strongest weapon in this struggle. According to him, angry people may act irrationally, causing churches to remain empty while the faithful are forced to gather for prayer at home.

The hierarch noted that what is happening is a fight for faith and for the people themselves. He called for patience in enduring these trials, relying on faith and God’s support.

The bishop encouraged preserving the Orthodox traditions passed down by ancestors, since only through this faith can true grace be attained.

Recall that on May 19, 2025, OCU supporters held a secret meeting of a «territorial community,» where they voted to re-register three more city religious communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in favor of the Ukrainian schism. According to media reports, the meeting was not announced, and genuine members of the UOC religious communities did not participate.