Metropolitan Klyment of Simferopol and Crimea of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princes Volodymyr and Olga in Simferopol on January 19, the day of the Epiphany of the Lord.
This is reported by Krym.Realii.
"Today, a festive service was held in the Cathedral of Simferopol, which was the final in the Christmas cycle. People came inspired, they solemnly went out to the square, where the water was consecrated on the street. And today, nature itself gave Crimeans a gift: they felt what a real Epiphany frost is. The day before, there was snow for two days, and today frost hit," metropolitan Klyment said.
On January 19, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, a solemn divine service with the consecration of water was held in the only Simferopol Church of the OCU.
The Russian Ministry of property and land relations of Crimea in February 2019 demanded to vacate the building of the Cathedral of Volodymyr and Olga in Simferopol, explaining this by the expiration of the contract with the Crimean Diocese of the UOC-KP.
On June 28, the Russian-controlled Arbitration Court of Crimea ordered the transfer of the cathedral premises to the use of the Russian Ministry of Property of Crimea. Metropolitan Klyment of the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine said that he will appeal this decision.
In mid-June, construction work began in the church building, initiated by the Ministry of Property of the Crimea and without the consent of the Crimean diocese.