Lvov city authorities intend to raze an Orthodox church to the ground for the visit of the Pope of Rome

LVOV CITY AUTHORITIES INTEND TO RAZE AN ORTHODOX CHURCH TO THE GROUND FOR THE VISIT OF THE POPE OF ROME

Orthodox believers held on May 3 a meeting in front of the Lviv City Council in protest against the planned demolition of one of the two churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate remaining in the city.

The intention of the city authorities to demolish the small wooden church of St. Vladimir has surprisingly coincided with the fact that the church is located at a city square to which the Pope John Paul II is to come in the course of his visit to Lvov.

The church is located on a plot claimed by a community of the so-called “Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate”. The Lvov Mayor Basily Kuybida has decreed that the plot be re-registered in favor of this community, whose church is located nearby. The canonical Orthodox community of the acting St. Vladimir’ has been denied the opportunity to buy out the plot on which their church stands.

Thus there is a real danger that the Orthodox church, which gathers up to 300 faithful for daily services, will be destroyed at any moment.

The Orthodox dwellers in Lvov intend to continue protest actions for saving the church.