Kamianets-Podilskyi Council bans Moscow Patriarchate church, revokes land rights

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is now prohibited from operating in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Mayor Mykhailo Positko reported on April 4.

Members of the Kamianets-Podilskyi City Council unanimously voted to prohibit the church from holding services and revoked all land rights to their places of worship, according to Positko.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is not to be confused with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was granted autocephaly (ecclesiastical independence) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople in January 2019.

Recently, Kyiv ordered the religious leaders from the Moscow Patriarchate to leave the premises of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the church's stronghold.

The Khmelnytskyi Сity Сouncil also revoked the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate's land rights on April 4 after a military officer was assaulted at their place of worship.

A priest of the Moscow-controlled church was charged with blessing Russian soldiers during the occupation of Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on April 4.

Ukraine has long accused the Moscow Patriarchate's representatives in Ukraine of serving as the Kremlin's propaganda arm on the religious front.