Cherkasy RMA re-registers Trinity Cathedral of UOC in vlg. Irkliiv to OCU

The Trinity Cathedral of the UOC in the village of Irkliiv. Photo: cherkasy.church.ua

The Cherkasy Regional Military Administration has registered a new version of the statute of the Trinity Cathedral community (UOC) in the village of Irkliiv, according to which the parish supposedly transferred to the OCU. Copies of the order from the RMA head, Ihor Taburets, the title page of the statute, and other documents were published on Facebook by OCU activist Lina Naida.

"Good news! Our Holy Trinity Cathedral in the village of Irkliiv now officially belongs to the believers of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and we hope that the transfer of keys will take place soon," Naida wrote.

The re-registration was carried out on June 30, 2023, based on the "statement of believing citizens" and the protocol of a "parish meeting" held on June 2.

The activist also published a directive from the head of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the OCU dated July 24 regarding the appointment of "Archpriest" Mykhailo Romaniuk as the "head" of the Trinity Cathedral.

As reported, on June 2, 2023, an event took place near the club in the village of Irkliiv, which its organizers referred to as a "meeting of the religious community" of the Trinity Cathedral. The actual church community, which has a fixed membership, was not invited to the meeting.

The cathedral's rector, Archbishop John of Zolotonosha, stated that "there have been no actions to change the canonical jurisdiction of the parish," and the believers warned the local administration about the illegitimacy of conducting any gatherings on behalf of the religious community "that cannot have any legal or factual consequences regarding the religious community."

In the legitimate parish meeting held on May 31, 2023, the members of the church community unanimously reaffirmed their faithfulness to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine and the Holy Synod of the UOC.

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