Lawyer: About a thousand people bail Lavra abbot out

Metropolitan Pavel at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: UOJ

The Lavra abbot’s lawyer, Fr Nikita Chekman, said how it was possible to gather the amount of 33.3 million UAH for the bail of Metropolitan Pavel.

According to him, 'Funds were collected through all possible means. 'Banks' were set up in applications of national banks through public initiative, and collection boxes for donations were placed in the Lavra and practically in all temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in many cities and villages of Ukraine. Without exaggeration, we can say that millions of people, parishioners of the UOC, took part in the fundraising.'

The collected funds were transferred in the form of a thousand payments.

'Despite all artificially created obstacles, they were overcome, as it's impossible to block more than a thousand (!) payments from ordinary citizens, common Ukrainians, made for the prompt release of Metropolitan Pavel,' the lawyer wrote.

As reported, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was released on bail from pre-trial detention."

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