The lawyer of the UOC told about the peculiarities of the first hearing on the case of banning the Kyiv Metropolitan Church

The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal will hold a preliminary hearing on September 30, which will mark the beginning of the trial in the lawsuit filed by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience against the Kiev Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. UOC lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman emphasized that the upcoming session is «preparatory.» It will consider issues related to the preparation of the case for hearing, analyze the petitions of the parties, and resolve issues of the court’s jurisdiction.

The lawyer expressed confidence in a positive outcome, stating, «We will all endure, because God is with us and no state authorities can ban the Church of Christ.» He also added: «The Lord has said that He will build His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against Her. Therefore, these are all temporary trials, which we, with God’s help, will all together pass and defend our rights to pray in our churches, in our shrines.»

According to Archpriest Nikita Chekman, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, lawyers of the Kyiv Metropolis are representing the interests of the UOC in a number of other court cases, challenging the orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and orders of the State Ethnopolitics Committee. «The above cases are still under consideration. The work is underway and all of us must pray and stand firm in our faith and be faithful children of the Church of Christ,» the lawyer noted.

The priest also reminded that the trial of the Kyiv Metropolitan Church will be open, which will allow those who wish to attend the sessions as free listeners and follow the live broadcast on Facebook. The legal team is calling for prayerful support. The session on September 30 will begin at 11:40 at the address: Kiev, Princes Ostrozhskikh str. 8, building 30, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church filed a counterclaim in the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal in the case initiated by the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) on the termination of its activities. The court accepted the counterclaim for consideration together with the original lawsuit, marking a new stage in the judicial confrontation between the church and state authorities amid the recent recognition of the UOC as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.