Met Pavel: Devil rejoices – Ukraine being destroyed from outside and inside

Metropolitan Pavel. Photo: a screenshot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra's YouTube channel

Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), the abbot of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, summed up the disappointing results of 2022 in his address for the new year 2023.

"Today, temporal people in power, driving out the Mother of God, expose believing people to grief, expose the country to danger... Today the devil rejoices in many events. Because the enemy is destroying Ukraine from the outside, from the inside, and now he has taken up the spiritual, what they could not do in all periods of thousand-year history. Not aliens but our own enemies have come, trying to expose us to unbelief and desolation," said the archpriest.

The Metropolitan wonders why no one in Ukraine is fighting against Catholics, Protestants, Uniates and other religions but only against the UOC.

"Because they are afraid of Christian God, they are afraid of faith because they will answer to God for all the atrocities. History knows that foreigners have closed monasteries, but when homegrown foreigners close monasteries – it is sad. But on the blood of martyrs and the patience of confessors, the Church is strengthened, and the grace of God comes into power. When human strength is exhausted, and we have exhausted it, the Lord steps in with His strength, with His wisdom. And God is not mocked! Not today but tomorrow – He will give one’s due to whomever," said Metropolitan Pavel.

As reported, Metropolitan Paul reminded the modern persecutors of the Church that Herod also wanted to defeat Christ but was eaten by worms.

Read also

TRC abducts cleric of Bancheny Monastery but releases him after believers' rally

Hundreds of believers gathered at the gates of the TRC in Chernivtsi. Military commissars released the abducted archimandrite of the Bancheny Monastery.

Persecuted UOC parishes in Bukovyna celebrate Sunday of Myrrh-Bearing Women

UOC communities deprived of their churches held services for the feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women.

UOC donates equipment worth UAH 200,000 to Okhmatdyt

The Odesa Eparchy of the UOC has completed a large-scale campaign to raise funds for young patients’ needs, the UOC Information Center reports.

Pope prays with Anglican female bishop, calls Christians to unity

Leo XIV received Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at the Vatican and said divisions must be overcome.

OCU spokesman: St. Nicholas did not take part in First Ecumenical Council

Zoria called the participation of St. Nicholas of Myra in the Council of Nicaea a product of later perception – saying the saint was “definitely not there.”

Hungary nationalizes UGCC monastery and hands it over to local Uniates

Hungarian authorities nationalized the UGCC monastery in Máriapócs and transferred it to a Hungarian Greek Catholic structure, evicting the Basilians.