The day before, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Abbot of Lavra, again declared that the monks would not obey the orders of secular authorities. He also denied reports on Ukrainian social media about Zelenskyyy’s alleged order to withdraw from the monastery. “Don’t flatter yourself that someone left us alone. I got another letter today so we could move. What are we talking about? They just want to put us to sleep so we don’t say anything, don’t do nothing, just listen to new promises, which are not kept at all,” states Metropolitan Pavel’s comment posted on Lavra’s website.
According to him, two hundred monks who “prayed, served, cleaned, restored, filled the sacristy, cared for the relics” simply have nowhere to go. And so he called on parishioners to come to Lavra territory on Wednesday to “see what the impious decrees of the executioners are doing.” At the same time, the Metropolitan urged “not to become like unhappy politicians”. “There can’t be revolutions, we can’t throw incendiary mixtures, we won’t throw stones. We can only pray. I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety. Why? Because provocateurs can come and do everything to trigger a confrontation,” Metropolitan Pavel predicted the events to come.
His eschatological feelings are understandable: the last attempt by the highest hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to speak personally with Zelenskyyy failed. They were detained for half a day in the courtyard of Zelenskyyy’s office, and then driven out of the territory under the pretext of an air raid.
Nevertheless, last Sunday several thousand Kyivans came to the Lavra for the Sunday liturgy, however, now activists stood at the entrance to Trinity Gate Church and checked the passports of everyone who entered. And although some media have called this prayer service “last,” the schedule of services on the Lavra website is scheduled until early April.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of a forced eviction, the UOC continues to evacuate the most valuable objects and books from the monastery library. Some of them are handed over to loyal parishioners, some are taken to the St. Panteleimon Monastery in the Feofaniya district of Kiev, where the head of the UOC Onufry has already moved.
At the same time, Ukrainian state media published statements from newly converted representatives of the schismatic OCU – defectors from the UOC – that among the monks at least a third are ready to join their “national church”. , and another third are neutral. Therefore, the use of forceful methods against those who remained in Lavra will be limited and justified.
