The Viceroy of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, was charged with “incitement to inter-religious hatred” (Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and “justification of armed aggression by the Russian Federation (article 436 of the Penal Code), informed press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Pavel was sent to house arrest.
By words Metropolitan, he is accused of interreligious conflicts for having called the president of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Epiphanius a schismatic. Commenting on the announcement as “justification of armed aggression”, Pavel said he condemns “all attempts (of aggression) against our state”.
“What Russia did, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is in no way justified. I told you, and I always defended, defended and will defend my motherland,” he said. .
Besides, how said Pavel, the security forces told him that he “cursed the children of the President” of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. Politika Strana believes it to be a video message from the Metropolitan dated March 29, in which he blames the president for expelling the UOC monks from the Lavra. In this appeal, Pavel, in particular, threatened Zelensky with divine retribution and declared: “Mr. President! I tell you and your pack that our tears will not fall to the ground, they will fall on your head.
Metropolitan PavelHoly Dormition Monastery Kiev-Pechersk Lavra UOC Official Site
Pavel, in turn, noted that he “didn’t curse anyone.”
“But I have said the words of the Gospel that our tears will not fall to the ground, but will fall on the heads of those who caused these riots,” he added.
also metropolitan called for questioning. In addition, Pavel has been placed under house arrest and the SBU is conducting a search of the premises where he lives, informed vesti.ua.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal investigation into incitement of religious hatred against Metropolitan Pavel in January. As UNIAN wrote, the reason for opening the case was that during one of the services, Pavel called OCU Primate Epiphanius a “true demon and self-holy”, and also accused the Ukrainian authorities of “persecuting the Church”.
What’s going on Saturday at the Lavra
In this context, the laurels near the building have become goes both UOC supporters and OCU supporters. Law enforcement is also on duty there, access to the Lavra farm . At the same time, representatives of the UOC planned to start a prayer service in the Church of St. Agapit at the main gate of the Lavra. According to vesti.ua, a fight broke out near the building between the UOC monks and the OCU.
Telegram channel “Politics of the country”
Subsequently, the Metropolitan left the territory of the reserve in his car. Protesters who gathered near the Lavra building, currently sung : “Thank you SBU!”.
Head of the Russian Synodal Department for Church-Society-Media Relations Vladimir Legoyda appointed the placing of Metropolitan Pavel under house arrest is a “continuation of the anarchy” “perpetrated today by the Ukrainian authorities”.
Deportation of the monks of the UOC of Lavra
The conflict between the Ukrainian authorities and the UOC began in 2022. Since October 2022, the SBU has conducted a series of searches in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and other UOC objects. The security service said they found “pro-Russian literature” and large sums of money.
Telegram channel “Politics of the country”
Subsequently, the Ukrainian authorities informed the Primate of the UOC, Metropolitan Onufry, that from January 2023 the term of the lease for the Main Temple of the Lavra, the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Church of the refectory, would end. In March 2023, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Museum-Reserve announced the termination of the agreement with the UOC on the use of the Lower Lavra, as violations were revealed in the activities of the monastery. The clergy was ordered to leave the monastery and the residence of the UOC primate until March 29.
On March 29, OCU Primate Metropolitan Epiphany appointed Archimandrite Avraamy (Lotysh), who had previously served as a UOC monk but was later transferred to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in as acting abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. .
On March 30, the Cabinet of Ministers transferred the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra building to state control. On the same day, the reserve commission came to the Lavra to accept buildings for state use. However, the believers who gathered in the Lavra blocked the work of the inspectors. For this reason, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine filed a complaint with the police. The UOC monks noted that they would appeal the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers and would not leave the Lavra building until the process was completed.
