Legal Department of UOC: Dumenko admits secret preparation of church raids

The Head of the Legal Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Alexander Bakhov, believes that the words of the head of the OCU Sergei (Epiphany) Dumenko that the “transitions” of the UOC communities are not advertised indicates that the re-registration takes place secretly, and the real members of religious communities are against the change of jurisdiction, reports the Legal Department of the UOC on its official website.

Commenting on Dumenko's words in the media, where he said that communities “make decisions, apply for registration, but are afraid of opposition,” Father Alexander noted that in this way the head of the OCU actually admitted that the process of secret re-registration of religious communities of the UOC continues.

“If opposition is expected during the ‘transfer’ of a religious community to the OCU, this, first of all, indicates that such ‘incorporation’ usually occurs without the consent and knowledge of the believers and the religious community of the UOC itself. Therefore, this is no longer a transition, but a raider seizure of a religious community and a temple,” said Archpriest Alexander Bakhov.

According to the lawyer, there has been the practice in recent years that the decision to allegedly pass to the OCU is made by residents of a settlement, who do not belong to the religious community of the UOC, at a meeting of the territorial community, passing it off as a parish meeting.

“Realizing that the real religious communities of the UOC will not agree to the transition and joining the OCU, they hold this meeting secretly, without the knowledge and participation of the faithful of the religious community of the UOC,” explained the head of the Legal Department. “Thus, falsifying the protocol, they submit documents for registration on behalf of the religious community of the UOC, which does not even know about such decisions. Further on, based on the falsified documents, the regional administration re-registers a religious community of the UOC in favor of the OCU, which the UOC believers get to known post-factum. Given such a situation, they have no choice but to go to court and defend their right to faith and church legally and sometimes to defend their shrine physically."

Fr. Alexander also noted that state agents are also involved in this raider scheme by re-registering a religious community on the basis of falsified documents and thus becoming accomplices in the crime. “Unfortunately, according to this scheme, Sergei Dumenko expects an increase in the number of religious communities of the UOC that were transferred to the OCU, which is done secretly, without any fuss and fanfare so that believers do not have the opportunity to fight this lawlessness,” summed up the head of the Legal Department of the UOC.

As the UOJ reported, surprisingly, Dumenko once again resorts to lies, notes the Legal Department of the UOC.