Cherkasy mayor admits seized UOC cathedral is private property
Mayor of Cherkasy Bondarenko. Photo: Facebook video screenshot
Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko stated in his video address that St. Michael's Cathedral will belong to the community of Cherkasy and will be transferred to communal ownership.
"I have instructed to begin the documentation process so that the cathedral and all buildings there will be owned by the community. These structures will be in communal ownership," he said, commenting on the situation regarding the raided cathedral of the Cherkasy Eparchy of the UOC.
The official's words effectively mean that he acknowledged that at the time of the seizure, the Orthodox shrine was private property. According to him, there are allegedly some structures on the cathedral's grounds that once belonged to the city. However, his statement confirmed that the church itself was built and owned by UOC believers.
As reported by the UOJ, the Cherkasy mayor was elected as the head of the parish council of the seized UOC cathedral.
Read also
Report: Vance Confronts Bartholomew Over Ukraine Schism
Vance supposedly accused the Ecumenical Patriarchate of receiving money from the U.S. government in exchange for granting "autocephaly" to the schismatic Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
Cardinal Cupich’s Award to Sen. Durbin Sparks Pro-Life Outrage
A local pro-life activist called the decision “un-Catholic” and scandalous, urging Catholics to contact the Archdiocese to protest.
Pat. Bartholomew Arrives in NYC
A patriarchal doxology was held at the St. Nicholas National Shrine early Thursday afternoon, with former Vice President Mike Pence making an appearance.
National Antiochian Orthodox Choir to Perform at Carnegie Hall
Those who wish to join the choir as singers must submit their applications by this Sunday, September 21.
Orthodoxy Grows in West with Baptisms in Chile and Netherlands
Converts were received into the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas and the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Western Europe, respectively.
Theophilos Greets Kirill After Snubbing Bartholomew
The Patriarch of Jerusalem met with the Patriarch of Moscow during a conference in Kazakhstan. Notably, Theophilos avoided meeting the Patriarch of Constantinple during his recent visit to Istanbul.