Lavra abbot addresses President: Our tears will fall on your heads

Metropolitan Pavel. Photo: a screenshot from the YouTube channel ‘Lavra. The Path of Salvation’

On 29 March 2023, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, in an address to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that the tears of the monastery brethren "will not fall on the ground, they will fall on your heads".

Speaking about the persecution that was brought by the state authorities against St John Chrysostom, Metropolitan Paul said he had received a letter from the museum director and the Culture Minister "who are driving the Lavra, with its thousand -years history, from the holy place".

"I say to you, Mr President! I tell you and your team that our tears will not fall on the ground, they will fall on your head. Do you think that by coming into power on our backs you can do this? God will not forgive you or your family!" said Metropolitan Paul.

"Because today, 220 people of the brethren are thrown out on the street by you. Because you refused to receive Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine with the Synod. You could not stop the Minister of Culture, who is possessed by rage, anger and hatred – so, he does everything with your permission. Woe upon you. Beware!" stressed the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

As earlier reported, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is the territory of the greatest religious freedom.

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