Lviv City Council transfers premises of St. George complex to UGCC

St. George's Cathedral complex in Lviv. Photo: ugcc.lviv.ua

On September 4, 2020, deputies of the Lviv City Council decided to approve a land management project on the transfer of land embracing the territory of St. George's Mountain in Lviv to the permanent use of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church "for maintaining the complex of St. George's Cathedral and lower metropolitan gardens." This was reported by the press service of the Lviv Archdiocese of the UGCC.

"This decision is a step in the restoration of the St. George's shrine, including due to the planned arrangement of a park-recreational zone on the territory of the lower Metropolitan Gardens," the UGCC said.

The head of the Lviv Uniates Igor Kyr stressed that the decision of the Lviv City Council "to return to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the territory of the Arch-Cathedral and the Metropolitan Gardens on Mount St. George" is a "historic milestone".

"The St. George's complex, which is now under the protection of UNESCO, is not only an architectural monument of world importance but a great stronghold of faith. By taking this shrine from the Ukrainian people, the Soviets tried to show the destruction and oppression of our Church. But through the revival of the independence of our Motherland, St. George's Cathedral returns to the disposal of the people to be a source of God's grace," said the Uniate hierarch and thanked Lviv deputies for "courageous restoration of historical justice", which will usher in a new stage of Lviv's development.

St. George's Cathedral in Lviv (at 5 St. George's Square), built on the site of an ancient Orthodox church, is considered the main shrine of Ukrainian Greek Catholics. The tombs of Andrei Sheptytsky and Sylvester Sembratovich are located in the crypt of the cathedral, while in 1992 the remains of Joseph Slipy were reburied here.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the hierarch of the UGCC in Ivano-Frankivsk demanded to give a courthouse to the church.

Read also

Georgian Church Resumes Construction After Miracle

The foundation of a church was blessed at Georgia's Oncology Center — construction resumes on the Church of Ss. Panteleimon the Healer and John the Baptist.

BREAKING: Met. Arseny Hospitalized After Falling Ill During Court Hearing

Faithful urged to pray as proceedings in Sviatohirsk hierarch’s case continue daily.

Pat. Bartholomew: It Is a ‘Grave Sin’ To Put Politics Before Church Unity

"Those who jeopardize this unity in the name of geopolitical expediencies and base motives for acquiring earthly power—falsely cloaked in spirituality—commit an offense before God and a grave sin," the Ecumenical Patriarch said.

OCA Chancellor Visits Romania and Czech Lands and Slovakia

Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino represents Met. Tikhon at major church events and meetings with hierarchs of sister Churches.

Procession Held in Honor of St. Gabriel of Georgia

On Nov. 1, clergy, Mother Paraskeva, and Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian faithful took part in a procession from the house of St. Gabriel the Confessor and Fool-for-Christ to the Samtavro Monastery.

Hierarchs of UOC Appeal to Zelenskyy in Defense of Met. Arseny

The episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on Zelenskyy to stop the persecution of Met. Arseny and to ensure he receives medical treatment.