Hierarchical Liturgy celebrated for the parish ousted from its church building in Zakarpatska Oblast

On 21 st February 2021, Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s community in Delovoye village, Zakarpatska Oblast, Ukraine, who had been deprived of their Dormition Church as the result of the hostile takeover by the “OCU” supporters, gathered for prayer in the open, led by Bishop Simeon of Uglya, vicar of the Khust diocese.

During the divine service, prayers were offered for peace in the Church and in the country, as well as for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports, citing Press Service of the Khust diocese.

As was reported earlier, in the beginning of February the “OCU” activists, who are in minority in Delovoye village, assisted by authorities, took possession of the canonical community’s Church of the Dormition. The parish will continue to defend its church by legal means. Currently, discussion is under way as to a possibility of constructing a new UOC church in the village.

***

On 29 th June 2020, the Khust diocese refuted claims of the “OCU” representatives about a transfer of the community of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Delovoye village to this schismatic structure. Re-registration of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s local community was carried out with the help of the authorities’ representatives, by means of illegally taking hold of the charter documents. Lengthy judicial proceedings began. Believers of the canonical Church have filed a cassation appeal and are waiting for a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine. It should be noted that last year acts of provocation were committed against the church. According to the members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, those provocations were initiated mainly by nonchurchgoers.

DECR Communication Service

Print publication

Hierarchical Liturgy celebrated for the parish ousted from its church building in Zakarpatska Oblast

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons