Serbian Patriarch urges world leaders to stand up for Lavra abbot

Patriarch Porfirije. Photo: Patriarch's Facebook page

On 22 July 2023, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije sent letters to the heads of the Orthodox Churches, the Pope, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Council of Churches, the human rights organisations Amnesty International, Freedom House and others, in which he called on world leaders to use their great authority in the world and make every effort to release Metropolitan Pavel "so that he can continue his evangelical mission," reports the press service of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Porfirije noted that "in times of large-scale, difficult and dangerous historical changes, which are certainly the case today, it is the duty of every righteous person, regardless of his/her religion, nationality, ideological or political convictions, to point out the injustices committed against individuals and their fundamental rights." Such an example, he believes, "is certainly Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod, who was sent to prison by a Ukrainian court".

According to the Serbian Patriarch, "This decision is, on the one hand, the result of the difficult situation in Ukraine, where there is a military conflict, and, on the other hand, an expression of the intentions of the current authorities to seize the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the most important shrines of the Orthodox world in general.”

"He is imprisoned because he is an Orthodox bishop, faithful to his UOC and to Ecumenical Orthodoxy. Thus, he is the unwavering guardian of the monastery, and therefore an insurmountable obstacle to the seizure of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by any other structure, even a church one, in order to gain a semblance of legality and legitimacy," the Primate of the SOC added.

In this regard, the Primate of the Serbian Church called on world leaders to make all necessary efforts for the release of Metropolitan Pavel.

As previously reported, the Prosecutor's Office demands to increase the bail for the vicar of Lavra to 60 million.

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