Metropolitan Pavel: The Church cannot be banned; it was, is and will be

The abbot of the Lavra gives an interview to Oleksiy Fazekosh at the place of his house arrest. Photo: screenshot of the video of the Fazekosh’s View YouTube channel

There have been different times in the history of Ukraine, but the Church has always flourished, and it will endure even now, at the time of the most difficult persecution. Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) said this when answering a question from Oleksiy Fazekosh about the future of the UOC.

Vladyka recalled the words of the Savior: “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against It,” and added that no one can and will not forbid the UOC.

The abbot of the Kyiv Caves Lavra also said that the Church is not a human organism but God’s, and people who adopt bills aimed at destroying the UOC in the Rada only invoke a curse on their families until the seventh generation.

“Christ was also banned, the apostles were forbidden to communicate, but we were, are and will be because we are not pursuing ours but Christ's. And no matter how hard they try in the Verkhovna Rada, they are mortal, while the Church is eternal. Therefore, even if they kill us – remember how Khrushchev wanted to show the last priest on TV – there are only more of us!” the bishop notes.

“The Church is called Ukrainian by its location – there are also Ukrainian Catholic and Protestant. But are they Christ’s? Our Church is the Church of Christ,” the bishop affirms.

As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Pavel said that he prays daily for his offenders and persecutors.

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