Vinnitsa region authorities lo and behold “Moscow agents” in the UOC community

In Morozovka village of Pogrebishche district, Vinnitsa region, Saint Nicholas UOC religious community was denied privatization of the land plot arising from the fact the parish affiliates to the “Moscow Patriarchate”.

According to the UOJ source, Morozovka village council postponed for a long time an issue of address of the UOC religious community to obtain permission for privatization of the land plot, where Saint Nicholas temple is located. The priest was compelled to ask for a written notification to make sure the village council had received the community’s address. After a regular session of the council the priest was sent a decision “to temporarily refuse to grant permission for privatization of the land plot due to the fact the church is in the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate.”

“This decision of the village council is discriminatory and even despite the wording “temporarily refuse”, it has to be challenged in the court not to create a precedent,” comments on the situation Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, head of the UOC Law Department. – The refusal is unlawful and infringe upon rights of the people – members of the religious community. It has to be particularly noted there is not a single juridical document which would contain provisions that any given community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has a direct jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Statutes of the parochial communities specify what eparchy they are affiliated to. Therefore, let me underscore once more that court proceedings are necessary in this issue in order not to set a precedent.”

The UOJ follows the events.