Currently, there are six communities in Transcarpathia which confirmed their intention to move from the subordination of the former Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, most of them in Uzhhorod, but this movement will gain momentum once the Tomos is granted.
Hierarchs of the OCU have reported this to Ukrinform during a joint press conference on December 22, in Uzhhorod.
“Yesterday, I signed the desision of the parish of Minay village, which showed its intention to move from the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church to that of the local church, and another community went to the Transcarpathian Diocese of the then UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate in 2015 in the village of Pylypets in the Mizhhirshchyna,” said His Eminence Barsonofiy, ruling bishop of the Transcarpathian Diocese of the OCU.
In his turn, the ruling bishop of the Carpathian diocese of the OCU, His Eminence Viktor noted: before the Council of December 15, the desire of the two Carpathian dioceses of the OPU was expressed by the desire of two parishes in the city of Uzhhorod (St. Cyril and Methodius parish and St. Prince Volodymyr and Olga parish). The same intention was expressed by the fellowship of the monastery in the village of Chynadiyevo, added His Eminence Victor.
He clarified that the existing legislative framework (the Law on Freedom of Religion) already allows us to resolve these issues.
“The community must assemble and decide on the transition from the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church to the One Local Church, make a protocol; it is certified by the Bishop, and then this decision is passed to the relevant department of the regional authorities. And thus, after confirmation, this transition is legally completed, and the desire of the community to transfer to another jurisdiction. does not depend on the bishop, and all the property, the land, the church, the church utensils and the the priest's house are transferred to the community,” said the bishop of the Carpathian diocese of the OCU.