Court returns KP-seized church in Badovka to UOC believers

On December 20 the Supreme Commercial Court of Ukraine obliged the Kiev Patriarchate to vacate the church of Saint Mary Magdalene of the UOC community in Badovka village of Ostrog district, Rovno region, having been taken over two years ago. It is reported by the UOJ.

Two representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate arrived in Kiev to the court hearing – dean of Ostrog district and senior father of the church in Badovka. Both insisted that the church should belong to the UOC KP despite the three previous court decisions, which recognized the religious worship building to be the UOC property.   

According to human rights defender of Rovno UOC diocese Yekaterina Ivaniuk, the UOC-KP representatives did not have a single document to prove their right to ownership of the above church.     

In view of this fact, the court has refuse the UOC KP for the third time now to satisfy their lawsuit and reaffirmed the court decision of 19 July 2016, under which the UOC-KP community has to vacate the church, illegally seized on 26 December 2014.

Following the power struggle two years ago the UOC faithful of Badovka village were compelled to leave their temple, which had been built with the money donated by the good-doer, and have divine services at the lodging accommodated for a church.