Almost 3,000 UOC believers in Storozhynets oppose "transition" to the OCU
UOC communities in Storozhynets are calling on international organizations and diplomatic missions to take notice of the systematic violations of their religious rights.
On February 9, 2025, a gathering of religious communities from St. George the Victorious Church and the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) took place in the city of Storozhynets, Chernivtsi region.
A total of 2,725 representatives of these religious communities expressed strong opposition to attempts to seize their churches.
At the gathering of the St. George Church community, 1,463 parishioners unanimously reaffirmed their allegiance to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. A similar stance was taken by 1,262 parishioners of the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, who also voted in favor of maintaining unity with the UOC.
Before the vote, the clergy held a prayer service for peace and for the health of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as a memorial litany for the fallen servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
After the meeting, clergy and parishioners organized a religious procession to the city’s central square, where they held a memorial service at the local monument.
Additionally, they sent an official appeal to the U.S. Vice President, the ambassadors of Romania and the United States, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Prosecutor's Office of the Chernivtsi region, demanding an end to the persecution of Orthodox believers in Ukraine and the protection of their religious freedoms.
The appeal highlights systematic violations of UOC believers' rights. It states that representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are once again planning church raids in Storozhynets, while local authorities and law enforcement agencies are ignoring these actions.
It has also been reported that local officials and medical workers are actively involved in pressuring UOC communities, using their official positions to coerce believers into joining the OCU. School and kindergarten administrations have allegedly threatened to fire employees who support the UOC, while certain OCU representatives are openly engaging in propaganda, inciting religious hostility.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church communities in Storozhynets are calling on international organizations and diplomatic missions to take notice of these systematic violations of their religious rights and take measures to protect freedom of religion in Ukraine.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that hundreds of UOC believers in Storozhynets held a religious procession to the city council.
