The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine confirmed that the Kyiv Patriarchate of the liquidated Ukrainian Orthodox Church ceased to exist by joining the Kyiv Metropolia of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Ministry has issued the respective statement today, LB.ua reports.

"The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) as the governing body of this religious association at its meeting on July 27, 2019 (Journal No. 43) decided to terminate the activities of the religious organization "Kyiv Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church" by joining the religious organization "Kyiv Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine)", whereof an appropriate entry was made in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, individual entrepreneurs and civic associations," the statement reads.

Thus, the religious association of the UOC-KP ceased its activities by uniting and joining the OCU, all the functions of the statutory bodies of the former UOC-KP passed under the control of the relevant governing bodies of the OCU which received all the powers and legal grounds for making appropriate decisions on the future of those religious organizations that were part of the former religious association UOC-KP.

"Any attempts to block the process of state registration of a number of religious organizations that were previously part of a religious association with the same name and after the Unification Local Council decided to join the OCU can be interpreted as attempts to interfere with the activities of officials, which is prohibited and entails liability under the law," the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

As it was reported, in early July, the District Administrative Court of Kyiv filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine on the abolition of the liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.

On June 20, the "Council" of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate, convened by Patriarch Emeritus Filaret of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, overturned the decision to dissolve the Kyiv Patriarchate and refused the Tomos of autocephaly. Thereafter, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine removed Filaret from the governance of the Diocese of Kyiv of the OCU.