"New owners" banned: MinCult complains about UOC parish of Kaniv Cathedral

The Dormition Cathedral in Kaniv. Photo: Suspilne

In Kaniv, a commission from Ukraine's Ministry of Culture reported that the UOC community did not allow them into the Dormition Cathedral, according to Suspilne.

As of September 6, 2024, following a ruling by Ukraine's Supreme Court, the cathedral was transferred to state ownership and placed under the management of the Kaniv National Shevchenko Reserve.

According to the head of the reserve, Valentyna Kovalenko, the commission was met by Father Heorhii and the UOC community. Father Heorhii stated, "Our church has been here since day one," and responded to accusations of affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate by saying they were baseless since there is no mention of the MP in the UOC’s documents. The commission was only allowed to inspect the exterior of the cathedral because, according to Father Heorhii, permission from the Kyiv Eparchy to access the interior had not been granted.

Father Heorhii emphasized that most of the repairs to the cathedral and its surroundings had been funded by the UOC, and therefore, the inventory of property should be conducted under the community's supervision.

"We came to bare walls. There wasn’t even a proper floor here. We did everything to make this cathedral a jewel not only of our city but of the entire Orthodox world. We will comply with the court's decision. But we want this to be done in a civilized manner. We will act in a way that ensures we can look each other in the eye without shame," he said.

The UOC cleric also noted that 200–300 people regularly attend liturgies at the cathedral and that the UOC community has the right to continue praying in the church.

Eventually, both parties agreed to expand the commission and meet again next week. Valentyna Kovalenko added that in the future, the cathedral is planned to house an exhibition for visitors and to be offered for religious services through a rental competition organized by the State Property Fund.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision to transfer the Kaniv UOC cathedral to state ownership.

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