Community of St Vladimir’s Cathedral of UOC-KP refuses to go to OCU

St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kiev. A photo: flickr.com

Parishioners of St. Vladimir’s Cathedral of Kiev refuse to accept the liquidation of the UOC-KP and remain under the leadership of "Patriarch" Filaret Denisenko, says a statement published on the Cathedral’s website.

On November 12, 2019, the Cathedral’s community held a parish meeting at which “they discussed the situation in the religious life of Ukraine and, in particular, decided to remain under the spiritual guidance of His Holiness Patriarch Filaret of Kiev and all Rus-Ukraine”.

“Given that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is a subordinate metropolis within the Patriarchate of Constantinople (which follows from the text of the Tomos), and independent Ukraine needs its own independent Church, which would serve its people and not other foreign religious centres like Moscow and Constantinople, the community of the parish does not recognize the so-called “liquidation” of the Church and remains a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate and does not transfer to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” the statement underlines.

It is noted that this “right of a religious community is guaranteed by Art. 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Art. 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Art. 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the provisions of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations’”.

We recall that on November 11, 2019, a “peaceful protest against illegal actions to attempt to eliminate the UOC-KP” took place in Kiev, during which a supporter of Filaret broke an arm of the National Guard member. The National Guard used tear gas against the protestants.

Later it became known that the Sixth Court of Appeal of Kiev resumed the liquidation of the UOC-KP.

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