Romanian Church Synod demands recognition of its community in Ukraine
The National Council of Romanians in Ukraine is asking the authorities in Bucharest to help return the community's church in Chernivtsi, where services were conducted in Romanian.
The Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church expressed regret that Ukrainian authorities have “unreasonably postponed indefinitely” the legal recognition of the religious association known as the “Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine”. This was reported by Hotnews, citing the Synod meeting that took place on October 25, 2024.
The Holy Synod noted that the Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine has met all the requirements of Ukrainian legislation; however, its recognition is still being delayed. In this regard, the Romanian Patriarchate will continue to seek a resolution to this issue by appealing to the authorities in Romania and Ukraine.
It is worth recalling that on March 1, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church supported the initiative of Romanian Orthodox communities in Ukraine that aim to restore ties with the Romanian Patriarchate through the creation of a religious structure called the “Romanian Orthodox Church of Ukraine”.
In September, the National Council of Romanians in Ukraine also called for an expedited process for Romanian Orthodox communities to come under the control of the Romanian Church, with special attention given to the return of the first Romanian church in Chernivtsi, which local authorities illegally appropriated.
