Authorities deliberately block transitions from the UOC-MP to the OCU for months, - Metropolitan Epifaniy
This was stated by The Primate of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy, in an interview on direct, reports Religiyna Pravda.
"I talked to representatives of communities that are ready to join the OCU. But they expect this process to become available. For example, not a single crossing has been registered in the Kyiv region in two years. Despite the fact that many communities have a desire to move. But they see that the regional state administration does not consider their appeals and does not take legal actions regarding re-registration," Epifaniy said.
According to him, it is necessary that the state at the level of regions and regional state administrations does not block these processes and that the courts make fair decisions.
He also noted the importance of the high-profile decision of the Supreme Court regarding the community of the village of Sutkovtsy in the Khmelnytsky region.
"...in the case of the village of Sutkovtsy in Khmelnytsky, where the priest of the UOC-MP allegedly won in the courts. But when the community appealed to the Supreme Court, the Grand Chamber recognized the previous decisions of the courts as illegal. This makes it possible to form a certain legal practice, and lower courts should be guided by the decision of the Supreme Court," the Primate said.
He noted that the OCU operates only in the legal field.
"We are moving only in the legal field. We do not want lawlessness. We want everything to happen peacefully and calmly," the head of the OCU said.
