OCU Plans to Expand Presence in Czech Republic

PRAGUE — The OCU announces that the Brno mission is just the beginning: plans are in place for additional centers throughout the republic, which constitutes an interference in the canonical territory of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia (OCCLS).

In recent days, communications from representatives of the so-called "Chaplaincy Mission for Ukrainian Orthodox in the Czech Republic," which is affiliated with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), have appeared on social media. It is clear from the posts that this is far from a one-off service in Brno, but rather a long-term project with ambitions to expand across the entire Czech Republic—and even to Slovakia.

The first service of this mission is announced for August 23 in Brno, in the form of a Moleben. However, according to the page administrators, further regular events are to follow. When asked by OCU supporters whether additional services will be held, the response was unequivocal: "Of course, they must be".

In the discussions under the posts, some OCU supporters expressed a desire for the mission to be established in Prague and Bratislava as well. The mission administrators responded that "with God's help", this will happen. This confirms that this is not merely a local initiative but a deliberate plan to build a network of OCU structures across the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Tomos of "autocephaly" from 2019 clearly stipulates that the OCU has no right to establish parishes or church structures outside Ukraine's borders. All foreign parishes are to be under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. If the OCU is planning operations in Brno, Prague, Bratislava, and other cities, this constitutes a clear violation of the Tomos and an interference in the canonical territory of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia (OCCLS).

The OCCLS is the only autocephalous and canonically recognized Orthodox Church in the territory of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Any parallel structures are therefore illegitimate and threaten the unity of the Church. If the OCU indeed plans to "multiply" its chaplaincy missions across the republic, this risks creating a situation that could significantly harm the life of Orthodoxy in our region.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCU is violating the Tomos and establishing a church structure in the Czech Republic.

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