“The Khmelnytskyi Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine denied the information about the alleged seizure of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Kuzmin during the transition of the community from the UOC MP to the OCU and urged not to incite religious enmity. The diocese announced this on Facebook. The statement notes that distorted and manipulative versions of events are being disseminated in the information space. “Recently in”, — write on: ua.news
The Khmelnytskyi Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine denied the information about the alleged seizure of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Kuzmin during the transition of the community from the UOC MP to the OCU and urged not to incite religious enmity.
The diocese informed about this in Facebook
The statement notes that distorted and manipulative versions of events are being disseminated in the information space.
“Recently, publications have been circulating in the information space that present a distorted and manipulative version of the events in the village of Kuzmin, Khmelnytskyi region regarding the transfer of the religious community of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. We declare responsibly and officially that the religious community of the village of Kuzmin voluntarily, peacefully and by an overwhelming majority of votes made a decision to transition to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The decision was made in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, in compliance with the principles of freedom of conscience and religion. No “forcible seizure of the temple” took place,” the message reads.
The diocese emphasized that such statements are groundless and have signs of deliberate misinformation aimed at inciting religious enmity and international discrediting of Ukraine.
It is also noted that the participation of community residents in meetings was open and public, and the statement about “oppression of believers” and “persecution of the UOC” is part of a long-term information campaign used by structures connected to the Moscow Patriarchate.
“Attempts to appeal to foreign politicians, spreading one-sided and false information, we regard as another attempt to exert external pressure on Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian state,” the diocese emphasized.
According to the Krasylivskyi deanery of the OCU, on December 21, 2025, the religious community of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Kuzmin unanimously decided to change its canonical subordination and join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
At the same time, the Khmelnytskyi Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Russian Orthodox Church of Ukraine announced the alleged “gross interference” in the internal affairs of the community of the Church of the Holy Nativity of the Mother of God in the village of Kuzmin.
“Parishioners will use all legal opportunities at the national level and, in parallel, report the illegal actions of the organizers and signatories (including their names and positions) to international human rights organizations in Europe and the USA in order to protect their rights to freedom of religion and prevent the raider seizure of the religious organization as a legal entity and the seizure of the Holy Christmas Church of the village of Kuzmin,” the diocese said.
It was also reported there that the US Congress allegedly took control of the situation around the church in Kuzmin.
“Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna published the appeal of the religious community of the Nativity of the Virgin UOC in the village of Kuzmin of the Khmelnytskyi Diocese and stated that the attempt to take over the UOC temple by force is unacceptable,” the message reads.
We will remind you that from 2022 to 2025 in Ukraine, 1,378 religious communities decided to transition from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Transfiguration Church in Cherkasy region, erected in 1839 year by architect Giorgio Torricelli, officially joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Read us on Telegram and Sends
