Lavra brethren addresses Met. Pavel held in pre-trial detention centre

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry with the Lavra abbot and brethren. Photo: lavra.ua

On 19 July 2023, the brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra addressed Metropolitan Pavel, who is detained in the Lukyanivka prison in Kyiv.

At the beginning of the address, the brethren expressed "words of sincere support and deep filial gratitude" to Metropolitan Pavel “in these sorrowful days”.

"For thirty years, you have been in charge of the Holy Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, and every monk, from the senior brethren to the humble novice, can testify before the Lord to a simple truth: the abbot of the Holy Kyiv Lavra is a true Shepherd and zealous servant of the Church," the monks believe.

The brethren of the monastery emphasized that "the experience of personal communication with you has left an indelible mark in the heart of each of us" and "simplicity in communication and sincere care, mercy and leniency, the necessary measure of parental strictness together with the ability to forgive – this is what we have all found in your person".

"We are grateful to you for your spiritual care and prayer, which the Lord always accepted, as witnessed by the Lavra monks and many of your spiritual children. In order to understand what a caring and thoughtful master You are, it is not even necessary to know You personally - it is enough just to come to the Holy Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and see everything with one's own eyes. The work of your hands can be seen in every part of our monastery, which you revived and improved with such love and sacrifice," wrote the brethren.

The monks say that "today our Church and our much-suffering Ukrainian people are going through difficult times" because "a terrible war has covered our land with a black cloud".

"In addition to this calamity, we see the aggravation of internal contradictions connected with long-standing problems in the religious life of our country. These problems did not arise yesterday, they have a multifaceted and long-lasting nature. However, their causes are certainly not related to the life and activities of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and its inhabitants, whose sole purpose in life is to pray for the entire world and humbly labour for the good of our people," write the monks.

They say that they are "doubly upset and completely puzzled about why all the claims and unfair accusations are directed at us. Why is our Abbot, who has always been a faithful son of his people, a diligent worker in the field of Christ, unjustly accused of all mortal sins and crimes? We leave this to God's Judgment and trust in His almighty help and mercy."

"Dear Vladyka, you have always taught us to place all our hope in the Lord, His Most Pure Mother and our holy intercessors, the venerable fathers of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, in any sorrowful circumstances. May the Lord strengthen you; today, not only our entire Church but the whole world is looking at you. We ask for your bishop's prayers and eagerly await your rapid return to the native abode. We believe in the triumph of God's justice and truth!" concluded the monastic community.

As earlier reported, Metropolitan Pavel addressed the Lavra brethren from the Lukyanivka Prison.

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