MP Guz threatens to forcefully evict Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of UOC from the Cathedral

Ihor Huz, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the For the Future party and lobbyist for the OCU, threatened to forcefully evict the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the premises of the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr-Volynskyi, which also houses the diocesan administration and theological school. The MP complained that if the state delays this process, supporters of the OCU will have to use the “power apparatus”. He said this in an interview with regional journalist Yuriy Rychuk.

“There is the current legislation, and it is on the side of the state. There is a decision of the Supreme Court, and in general, this is the property of the state… After October 9, the last decision will be made, and that’s it. I am now doing everything possible to ensure that the state, represented by the head of the National Police, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Security Service, complies with all relevant court decisions in early October. Seal them, and then make a decision. But if not, we will take the police there by the hand. They have the power of law enforcement and the right to do everything in accordance with the current legislation. This is the paradox… Otherwise, it will be a mess,” said MP Guz.

The MP added that his dream is to have the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, visit the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the UOC in Volodymyr-Volynskyi.

“For example, I do not hide the fact that my cherished dream is for Epiphany to hold a service there. And he will hold this service there,” he said.

We will remind, on March 27, 2025, the People’s Deputy of Ukraine Igor Guz met with the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. During the conversation, the MP invited the head of the Ukrainian schism to hold religious events in the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is currently undergoing expropriation into state ownership.