Cherkasy, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, March 27, 2024
Photo: livejournal.com
According to a recent court decision, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Diocese of Cherkasy has been deprived of the land around its St. Michael’s Cathedral.
In a recent ruling, the Sixth Court of Appeal upheld the Cherkasy District Administrative Court’s decision of September 22, 2023, whereby the 21.5 acres of the so-called Cathedral Park in the city of Cherkasy is withdrawn from the permanent use of the UOC, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The land is thus given to the city’s use, for the creation of a park and other needs. The land directly under the cathedral remains in use by the diocese.
Recall that the ruling hierarch of the Cherkasy Diocese, His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy, is among the bishops of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church who are being specifically targeted by Ukrainian authorities.
He spent eight months last year in round-the-clock house arrest, and is still under nighttime house arrest.
The Metropolitan is one of the most vocal UOC hierarchs in terms of fighting for the Church’s and its faithful’s human rights. He has addressed the UN’s Human Rights Council, and is among the founding members of the Church Against Xenophobia and Religious Discrimination human rights group.
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