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Lviv Roman Catholics to sue local authorities in Strasbourg

21.01.2015, 20:34
The parish of St. Anthony in Lviv will defend their rights to former parish house in Strasbourg court.

The parish of St. Anthony in Lviv will defend their rights to former parish house in Strasbourg court.

The modern church-monastery complex on Lychakivsk street for Franciscan Fathers was built in 1669-1739, respectively. After closing of Franciscan monastery by Austrian authorities in 1766 a parish emerged here, and part of the monastery was allocatedfor priests as a parish house, who in 1885 built it to a modern look.

The parish has not stopped its functioning even in Soviet times, but after World War II the parish house was seized. A music school was arranged here. The parich needs room for catechesis classes for children and youth, meetings parish communities, therefore it has been seeking for several years the return of its former parish house.

Not finding support and understanding from the local government in this issue, in accordance with applicable law, the parish was forced to resort to litigation. In Kyiv Economic Court of Appeal the Roman Catholics won the case and the titleof the parish to the parish house of the monastery was recognized. However, Lviv City Council did not uphold this verdict, and the parish was denied further proceedings. For more than a year a bigger house of former Lychakiv military enlistment office, where the musical school might have been relocated has remained empty. However, the authorities agreed to transfer the parish house only on condition that the Church and the Consulate General of Poland in Lviv found an appropriate partner in Poland, which would build a new children's art school on a modern design. St. Anthony parish finds the position of the council leaders discriminatory, because in the meantime the communities of other Churches return spaces they need, and are even offered the spaceswhich never belonged to them. “We look forward to the European Tribunal of Human Rights in Strasbourg,” said a faithful of St. Anthony parish.

The Roman Catholic has also been suing authorities for a long time to return to believers the church of St. Mary Magdalene that is used as organ hall.