OCU asks Cabinet of Ministers to hand over Holy Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr taken from UOC

The Holy Dormition Cathedral in the city of Volodymyr, previously expropriated from the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has completed the process of removing property that previously belonged to the religious community of the UOC. The church, which has been empty for more than two months, is sealed and guarded, and may soon be transferred to the OCU.

According to VolynPost, all church items, including icons, kyotas, crosses and other utensils, which were previously described and actually arrested as part of the enforcement proceedings, have now been completely removed from the cathedral.

About two months ago, the executive service, with the support of the police, enforced a court decision to evict the Vladimir-Volyn Diocese of the UOC from the Holy Dormition Cathedral. The reason for this was the expiration of the lease and numerous lawsuits that continue to this day. The temple complex was transferred to the balance sheet of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Ancient Volodymyr”, which is managed by the Volyn Regional State Administration.

Against the backdrop of these events, the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the OCU has already appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers to grant permission to use the premises of the cathedral. It is expected that the relevant permit may be issued in the near future, which will allow the OCU to use the church for its needs.

Earlier, we reported that Ukrainian MP Ihor Huz announced the upcoming eviction of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the chapel in honor of St. Prince Volodymyr, located near the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the UOC of Volodymyr, which was previously taken away from the Church by the state. According to the deputy, the religious organization occupies the historic building without any legal grounds, contracts or permits, which is an unauthorized seizure of a religious building.