Abbot: We will not move to the political party called "OCU"

Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod. Photo: screenshot of the YouTube channel of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

The brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra will not join the political party called "OCU", said the abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod, in an appeal published by the press service of the Lavra.

“I want to testify again. Communicating with many bishops of our Church, I can say that we are all against the political party that was created by the state for someone's sake – the OCU. We will not move there, and we are the majority, I think,” he said.

Vladyka noted that monks can only be expelled from the monastery by force, but no one will be able to take the Lavra from their hearts.

“Even if they drive us out of the monastery, no one will take the shrine from our hearts. We are already witnessing the upper territory, what is happening there. If we are ejected by force, which we do not want, you will see what will happen to this holy place. As Vladyka Longin said, 'You are not at war with me, not with Metropolitan Anthony, not with His Beatitude. You are at war with God'." We are small people, and the time will come when history will have its say,” added the Lavra’s abbot.

As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Pavel urged the believers of the UOC to come to the Lavra in order to protect the monastery from seizure with the help of prayer.

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