UOC Diocese of Gorlovka wins the case against Kiev Patriarchate on the seized church in Konstantinovka

The Diocese of Gorlovka of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has won a court case against the Kyiv Patriarchate on the seizure of the Candlemas church in Konstantinovka by the UOC-KP representatives. On May 16 the Commercial Court of Donetsk region declared actions of the Kiev Patriarchate illegal, reported the press service of the diocese.

At the regular meeting of the court parties provided the court with documents confirming their mutual claims. The documents were handed over to the judge, and then the meeting was suspended. After it was resumed, the court's decision was read. It recognizes the minutes of the meeting of the parish council of the Candlemas Church of April 2015 to be invalid and null because of the illegality of the amendments to them.

Five days after, the decision will be given in writing to the lawyers on both sides. A scan-copy of the judgment will be published on the website of the Diocese of Gorlovka and Slaviansk.

Thus, the UOC Diocese of Gorlovka won the case on the seizure of the church in Konstantinovka by the Kyiv Patriarchate.

The representatives of the Kyiv Patriarchate have a possibility to appeal against the court decision within 15 days.

It is to be recalled that on 14 October 2015 representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate undertook raiding of the church under construction in honour of the Candlemas Day, located in Konstantinovka city, Donetsk region. Gorlovka diocesan administration filed a court appeal to settle the case on the seizure in a legitimate way, according to the legislation of Ukraine. In particular, the Diocese of Gorlovka of the UOC claims for the reversal of the decision on transition of the church to the jurisdiction of the Kyiv Patriarchate made after the change to the board of the parish. 

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