Illegal position of the Ukrainian government on the use of building of an ancient Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
February 19, 2016. The Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Mr. V.Kirilenko said during the session of the Parliamentary Assembly, that the he will allow to the non-canonical Kiev Patriarchate to celebrate the services in the church of Saint Sophia, which is now a museum and belongs to the State, as the website uoj reports.
The Minister of Culture asked from the Ministry Council their approval for this concession to the Kiev Patriarchate and he said that such a decision will have a great importance for Ukraine.
Representatives of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church spoke to the website romfea and they said that the government illegally gives to the non-canonical church the right to take under their jurisdiction this temple. It is mentioned that the former Metropolitan of Kiev Vladimir (1992-2014) had asked many times from the Ukrainian State to return the cathedral of Saint Sophia to the canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine but the authorities rejected all his petitions.