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Ukraine Orthodox Citizens Oppose Odesa Land Lots for Other Denominations

27.06.2007, [10:44] // Protest //

Odesa – Representatives of the Union of Orthodox Citizens of Ukraine (UOCU) consider the recent request of various religious organizations in southern Ukrainian Odesa to allot them 100 land plots for the construction of churches as “expansion on the canonical territory of the UOC [Ukrainian Orthodox Church] Moscow Patriarchate” and say they “are not going to tolerate this.” otechestvo.org.ua posted the news on 25 June 2007.

This adverse reaction of the UOCU was brought about by the discussion of new changes to the general plan for the city of Odesa developed by the Hiprohrad Company in Kyiv. Various Odesa religious organizations commented that the plan does not include areas for the construction of churches.

At a session of the Coordinating Council on Spiritual and Secular Peace at the Odesa City Council (OCC), Yurii Chetakov, assistant director of the Department of Architecture and Construction at the OCC, said that the norms should be changed. If the decision of the OCC makes city planners include the construction of church buildings, the issues of church eparchies will be solved much more easily, he said.

Source and previous related RISU news:

• http://www.otechestvo.org.ua/main/20076/2511.htm

• http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;16436/