Bishop of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia receives hierarch of the OCU

Bishop Isaiah of Olomouc and Brno (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia) met with OCU hierarch Oleksandr Drabinko in Olomouc. The reception, which took place at the bishop’s residence on December 10, is causing considerable debate given the unrecognized status of the OCU in a number of Local Churches.

According to the UOJ in the Czech Republic, the meeting took place just a day after Drabinko’s visit to the Orthodox Church of St. Wenceslas in Brno. There he was received by the rector of the church, Raphael Moravsky. A special resonance was caused by the fact that Drabinko signed the Gospel lying on the throne in the altar, which was perceived ambiguously among the faithful in light of the unrecognized status of the OCU.

On the same day, December 9, Drabinko spoke at the Faculty of Philosophy of Masaryk University. At the invitation of the head of the Slavic Studies Department, Vaclav Stepanek, he presented a facsimile edition of the Peresopnytsia Gospel and held a discussion with students.

We have recently reported that Ukrainian schismatics have formed a «chaplaincy mission» on the canonical territory of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. The actual parish of the OCU in the Czech Republic will operate in the city of Brno, and the first religious event was held on August 23, 2025. The OCU is not deterred by the fact that the opening of parishes abroad is expressly prohibited by the «Tomos of Autocephaly», which provides for the organization’s functioning only within Ukraine.