Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra refutes fake on taking shrines out of monastery

Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed). Photo: a video screenshot from lavra.ua

The rumours spread in the Ukrainian media that the holy relics are allegedly being taken out of the Holy Dormition Kyiv Pechersk Lavra are a lie and the untruth, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, the abbot of the monastery, said in a video message published on the website lavra.ua on 30 May 2020.

"Many people, who are full of bile and untruth, as Apostle Paul says, sow enmity among people," said the hierarch of the UOC. “Someone does not need peace either in the east, or inside the country, or in the religious sense. <...> Today some people, bad people, I would say, are spreading (rumours – Ed.) that the Kyiv- Pechersk Lavra is preparing to take out the relics and throw untruthful sayings in the media that the abbot and brethren have already prepared ten relics to take out. Lies and untruth!"

Met. Pavel emphasized that in the monastery, on the contrary, they try "to bring everything to spiritual purity, beauty, and you see that all the relics are in their place. And they will lie there because it is God's will and God's blessing".

He also addressed the officials of the Ministry of Culture, calling them "to help the museum, historical shrines, which are in Ukraine today, to make restoration, and not send people to ask if it is true”.

"I assure you once again: we are not here to destroy and give away shrines to anyone. We are here to preserve what is left of history, what is left of holy people. And these holy relics are the evidence of the fact that the prayerful intercession of God's saints is, has been and will be with us," added Metropolitan Pavel.

As reported earlier, the day before on the air of "5 Channel" there was another news story, denigrating the UOC. As Archpriest Alexander Klimenko, whom the journalists unsubstantially slandered in their story, wrote: “I can’t wait to see the media somehow responsible for false or unverified information”.

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