OCU seizes St. Panteleimon Church from UOC in Bila Tserkva
St. Panteleimon Church in Bila Tserkva, now under the OCU. Photo: Espreso
On March 21, 2025, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) took control of the St. Panteleimon Church in Bila Tserkva, previously belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), Espreso reports. According to the new “rector” Vitalii Lysiuk, legal disputes over the church had been ongoing since 2024. The UOC community had accused the OCU of document forgery, but the courts ultimately ruled in favor of Dumenko’s followers. The UOC priest and parishioners voluntarily left the church and handed over the keys to the new administration.
According to the website of the Bila Tserkva Eparchy of the UOC, a conciliar Divine Liturgy was held at the church as recently as March 19, led by Metropolitan Augustine of Bila Tserkva. The diocesan press service has not published any statements regarding the surrender of the church.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that on July 10, 2023, the OCU seized the UOC’s cathedral in Bila Tserkva. OCU clerics spent three hours smashing down the entrance doors with sledgehammers.
Read also
Greece signs memorandum on protection of Jerusalem Patriarchate's shrines
Next week, the Greek Parliament will ratify a document on the protection of the cultural heritage of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
Greek bishop calls imposition of same-sex marriage a threat
Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera urged families to become a “domestic church” amid threats to the Christian family in Greek laws and school curricula.
Patriarch Bartholomew arrives in Budapest for opening of Orthodox center
The Ecumenical Patriarch has arrived in Hungary, where he will preside over the consecration of the Orthodox center "Phanarion."
OCU raiders stage attack on seized church in Kyiv, media
OCU "hierarch" Serhiy Horobtsov published a provocative post online regarding St. John's Church in Bykivnia seized by his people.