Media: Zelensky to discuss transfer of Kyiv Lavra to Fanar with Bartholomew

Volodymyr Zelensky and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: romfea.gr

On July 8, 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in the Phanar to discuss the issue of “transferring” the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Romfea publication reports.

According to the publication, the pressure on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has intensified due to the expected meeting of Zelensky with the head of the Phanar tomorrow, on Saturday, July 8, 2023.

Romfea writes that "during the meeting, the issue of assigning the status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s stauropegia to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra will be discussed."

Also, according to Romfea, the parties will discuss "other actions to 'unify' Ukrainian Orthodoxy."

At the same time, the newspaper writes, the monks of the Lavra do not want to either move to the OCU or accept the status of stauropegia of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, “and this is what complicates the negotiations.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Liudmyla Filippovych, a member of the State Ethnic Policy Commission on the UOC, the monks of the Lavra were offered three options for action – convert to the OCU, transfer to the Phanar, or leave for the Russian Federation.

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