Chernivtsi hierarch calls for new meeting of cathedral community
Metropolitan Meletiy proposed convening a meeting that includes government representatives to establish strict control over who among those present are true parishioners.
Metropolitan Meletiy proposed to hold a repeat meeting of the Orthodox cathedral community in Chernivtsi with the participation of government representatives to resolve the conflict situation.
In his address to the faithful, the archbishop emphasized the need for strict control of the meeting participants. According to him, a clear system of verification should be established at the new meeting to determine who is truly a parishioner of the church.
"I will propose to the authorities to hold the meeting again, but with the presence of government representatives. So that we gather here at the appointed time, place some guys there to see who is truly a parishioner and who is not," stated Metropolitan Meletiy.
He noted that non-members of the religious community may attend but not vote. "If someone is not a parishioner, please, they can come to listen, it is not forbidden to anyone. But then in their presence, we will say how we want to pray," explained the archbishop.
The archbishop justified the need for new meetings by stating that the decisions of previous meetings led to conflict. "The authorities could take on the role of an arbitrator and resolve this problem," he emphasized.
The Metropolitan expressed his readiness for open dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the situation. “We are open to resolving these conflicts, to addressing these issues. Whether we will be heard, time will tell,” the clergyman concluded.
According to the archbishop, such an approach will help avoid the recurrence of conflict situations and establish a fair order for decision-making in religious communities.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that at the cathedral community meeting, about 4500 parishioners voted for faithfulness to the UOC.
