Meropolitan Pavel: Brethren do not intend to leave the Lavra

Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: spzh.news

The residents of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra do not intend to fulfill the illegal demands for eviction from the monastery. This was stated in a video message by the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl.

“We do not intend and will not be evicted, because now there are laws that are on the side of a person,” the bishop said. “And to threaten us that they will deal with us – this is not 1917. Today there is an international community, there is some kind of culture.”

According to the hierarch, the brethren of the monastery "are not against all legal actions, but against illegal ones."

“We are not collaborators, we are citizens of our state. We have been living here since 1988, many of us have no other place than this; we gave our youth, our life here. And no one can tear us away from the love of God,” Vladyka noted.

He emphasized that the mass participation of believers in the celebration of the Synaxis of the Saints of the Kyiv Caves was an expression of their position regarding the fate of the Lavra.

“Yesterday’s celebration was a testament of the people of good will, those who remember their history, who live according to the Gospel,” the bishop assures.

He urged Orthodox Christians to intensify their prayers.

“We have not yet begun to pray so earnestly that the Lord would show a miracle, but, probably, they will still force us. I once again appeal to all believers with a call to intensify prayer, to read psalms from the 9th kathisma, the 17th kathisma. The Lord will hear us, because it can no longer be tolerated. Sanctions have been imposed, citizenship taken away, but they will not be able to do this with all of Ukraine, with all believers,” said Metropolitan Pavel.

As the UOJ reported, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said that in case the UOC refuses to leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the authorities included representatives of the SBU and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the audit commission for the monastery.

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