Lotysh did not let Anglican Archbishop into Lavra for a meeting with UOC

"Abbot of Lavra" from the OCU Avrahamiy Lotysh and director of the reserve Maksym Ostapenko. Photo: facebook.com/kplavra

The "abbot" of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra from the OCU, Avrahamiy Lotysh, did not allow the delegation of the Anglican Church led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to enter the Lower Lavra for a meeting with teachers of the Kyiv Theological Schools of the UOC. This was reported to the UOJ by one of the participants of the meeting.

According to him, initially, the question of allowing Anglicans into the Lavra was discussed with the deputy director of the reserve, Oleksander Ovchar, but he stated that permission and blessing from Lotysh were needed for the entry.

The source also said that on the same day, the delegation of the Anglican Church had already held a meeting in the Lavra with representatives of the OCU.

"After the meeting with the OCU, they left for their own business, and then they had a meeting scheduled with us. They needed to enter and leave the Lavra again. I thought they would naturally be allowed in the second time. <...> The deputy director of the reserve redirected us to Lotysh, but he refused to give permission for representatives of the Church of England," the participant noted.

Due to the fact that access to the Lavra for representatives of the Church of England was closed, the meeting took place in one of the cafes located near the monastery.

As the UOJ reported, the teachers of the Kyiv Theological Schools met with the Anglican Archbishop near the Lavra.

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