Legal recognition

The initiative to establish the Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine emerged in the context of long-standing efforts by Romanian Orthodox communities in Ukraine to establish a Romanian Orthodox Vicariate in Ukraine, under the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate, based on the principle of reciprocity with the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania, which is under the authority of the Romanian Patriarchate. Such requests were repeatedly made by Romanian communities in Ukraine over the past 35 years, and the Romanian Orthodox Church’s Holy Synod was informed of this initiative as early as 1991, when it blessed the initiative through Resolution No. 9908/1991.

Nevertheless, the requests of the Romanian communities to establish a Romanian Orthodox Vicariate in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastical authority existing at that time, were repeatedly rejected. The consistent refusal of this solution, despite its reciprocal nature and the existence of an institutional precedent in Romania, led the Romanian Orthodox communities in Ukraine to seek a solution that would enable them to effectively exercise their religious freedom, preserve their ethnic and spiritual identity, and organize their ecclesiastical life within their own legal and administrative framework.

It is in this context that the initiative to establish the Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine should be understood. It is not an option that arose spontaneously, but rather the result of a long-standing effort by the Romanian communities, following the exhaustion of repeated attempts to obtain a form of Romanian ecclesiastical organization within the existing ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Ukraine.

The current initiative of the Romanian communities has been blessed from the beginning by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Thus, on 9 February 2023, the Holy Synod approved the establishment, for Romanian Orthodox believers in Ukraine, of an ecclesiastical administrative unit called the “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” with the rank of vicariate, diocese, or exarchate, to be legally registered and to obtain the status of a religious organization recognized by the Ukrainian authorities. On 29 February 2024, the Holy Synod blessed, encouraged, and supported the initiatives of the Romanian communities in Ukraine to restore communion with the Mother Church, the Romanian Patriarchate, through their legal organization within the religious structure called the “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”

Thus, in 2024, three religious organizations in Ukraine established the “The Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine Religious Association (Administration),” and on 28 August 2024, an application for the registration of the Association was submitted to Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS/DEES). The application was accompanied by the organization’s Statute and documents attesting to the support and blessing of the Romanian Patriarchate. Statutul organizației și de documentele care atestă sprijinul și binecuvântarea Patriarhiei Române.

The initiative for legal recognition is based on the fundamental right to religious freedom and freedom of association, taking into account the specific circumstances of national minorities. In this regard, the organization invokes both the provisions of Ukrainian legislation and international human rights standards, including:

• The Constitution of Ukraine;
• Ukrainian legislation on freedom of conscience and religious organizations;
• legislation concerning the rights of national minorities;
• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
• the European Convention on Human Rights;
• relevant bilateral treaties between Romania and Ukraine.

Following the submission of the registration application, the competent authority in Kyiv sent several responses informing the organization that further consultations and additional analyses were being conducted, thereby significantly and unjustifiably delaying the process of deciding on the application.

The effort to obtain recognition for the Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine is not merely an administrative procedure. It is an effort to uphold freedom of faith, preserve tradition, respect Romanian identity, preserve the use of the Romanian language in worship, protect ecclesiastical heritage, and safeguard the right of communities to organize their own religious life. All these principles are compatible with European values and with Ukraine’s European path.

Romania and Ukraine are neighboring states, and the Romanian community represents a bridge between the two countries. Respect for the religious and cultural rights of Romanians in Ukraine can contribute to strengthening trust, good-neighborly relations, and dialogue between the two states.

Since, after more than a year, the registration application of the Religious Organization “Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine Religious Association (Administration)” had not been definitively resolved, representatives of the organization decided to turn to the competent courts of Ukraine.

On 2 December 2025, case file No. 320/5144425 was opened before the administrative court in Kyiv, seeking the lawful resolution of the application for the registration of the religious organization.

In the course of the judicial proceedings, the administrative authority, according to the organization’s representatives, raised arguments other than those previously presented in the administrative correspondence, including matters concerning the manner in which the documents were submitted and the name of the organization. We consider that this situation should be clarified through legal means, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation and European principles concerning religious freedom.