Lviv authorities give UOC church repeatedly attacked by radicals to OCU

On July 6, 2022, the head of the Lviv RMA Maksym Kozitsky, by his decree, changed the statute of the UOC community of St Vladimir’s Church in the Sykhiv district of Lviv. The relevant document is published on the website of the Lviv State Administration. The order says: "To register changes in the statute of the religious organization "Religious Community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Sykhiv district of Lviv" (the statute and changes in the statute were registered by orders of the Chairman of the Lviv Regional State Administration of 12. 06.2001 № 617 and of 15.12.2008 № 1482 respectively) the new edition as the statute of the religious organization "Religious community of the Lviv-Sokal Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) of the St. Vladimir Parish in the Sykhiv district of Lviv".

St Vladimir's Church in Lviv is constantly under attack by vandals who have made offensive graffiti on the walls, it has been set to fire twice, and the parishioners and clergy are constantly threatened.

Archpriest Vladimir Kuzio, the rector of St Vladimir's Church of the UOC, told the UOJ that the community was not officially informed about Kozitsky's order and has not seen any documents, but the UOC believers are not going to give up and will defend their rights in the legal field.

"We will sue for the forgery of documents in order to seize church property, we will appeal to all instances, including the Office of the President," Fr Vladimir said.

"Many would like us not to be here," the priest remarked and explained that the church community has been at war with the "local feudal lords" since 1991. According to him, after the recent fire at the temple, some people came to take selfies against the burnt-out walls and shouted, "You yourselves should be burnt!", but the community members covered the roof with old iron overnight with torches on their mobile phones.

"It's not us but the Lord who keeps this church safe," the priest resumed, "everything is kept alive by ordinary parishioners, by their faith.”

It will be recalled that on June 19, 2022, unknown vandals once again set fire to the St. Vladimir's Church of the UOC in Lviv, which has been repeatedly desecrated.

As reported, the Lviv City Council banned the UOC.

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