Court transfers UOC St. Michael’s Church in Horodyshche to Culture Ministry
The Smila District Prosecutor’s Office demanded the church be taken from the faithful.
The Commercial Court of Cherkasy Region has ruled to transfer St. Michael’s Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the city of Horodyshche, Cherkasy District, into state ownership, according to the regional news outlet Procherk.
The motion to transfer ownership of the church building to the state was filed by the Smila District Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors claimed that the UOC religious community had illegally acquired ownership of the church in May 2018.
“Once the court decision enters into force, the right to manage and determine the method of administration of this state property will be granted to the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine,” the ruling states.
As previously reported by the UOJ, the attempted seizure of St. Michael’s Church has involved the biological brother of the parish’s rector.
