Abbess Seraphima speaks of attacks on monasteries at Monasticism Congress

Hegumeness Seraphima, abbess of the Archangel Michael Convent in Odessa. Photo: monasterium.ru

At the Congress of Monasticism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which took place on July 15, 2021, in the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, Abbess Seraphima of the Archangel Michael Convent of Odessa spoke about the role of monasticism in the defence of Orthodoxy and the attacks on UOC monasteries after 2014, reports the “Monastyrsky Vestnik".

In her speech on the topic: "Monasticism is the stronghold of canonical Orthodoxy", Mother Seraphima recalled the special role of monasticism as a guardian of the foundations and canons of Orthodoxy and a warrior for its purity. In particular, she talked about how the brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Pochaiv Monastery took the brunt during the imposition of the union. “They stood at the head of the resistance to the forcible imposition of Greek Catholicism, up to the organization of an armed resistance to it, thanks to the help of the Cossacks, Orthodox brotherhoods and the people of God,” the abbess said.

Hegumeness Seraphima spoke about the attacks of the Bolsheviks on the Church in the early twentieth century when the theomachists tried to destroy it by state intervention in the canonical order to create a “pocket” false hierarchy and false church. She noted that now, with the creation of the OCU, similar events are taking place. “Today the situation is not much different from those evil times,” says Mother Seraphima. “Probably, never before has our Church been subjected to such a sophisticated attack on its canonical foundation, which is now being undertaken by the adherents of the OCU. It was only the Bolsheviks who took such truly sly intrigues and actions against Her."

The abbess recalled that in the first years of Ukraine's independence, when, at the instigation of the schismatic Filaret, the authorities became his ally and unleashed repressions on all those who disagree, sometimes comparable to the persecution of the Church by the Bolsheviks, it was monasticism that defended the canonical Church in Ukraine. “Yesterday's leaders of the Communist Party of Ukraine suddenly became ardent patriots and new persecutors of canonical Orthodoxy. However, all their attempts were smashed against the firm position of many hierarchs, monasteries and monastics, clergymen and the overwhelming majority of believers,” Mother Seraphima noted.

The abbess of the Odessa convent said how, after the Maidan-2014, the nuns of many convents experienced a number of trials: threats, aggression, attacks. “Take the so-called search for weapons in the Korets Monastery? In the Zimne Monastery, the nuns expected an assault every day. It was not easy for all monasteries. But we survived with God's help!” she stressed. The abbess also spoke about the encroachment on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra both earlier by Filaret and now by his followers. “Since then, attacks on the Lavra have almost never stopped, sometimes only quieting down for a while. And now they are again taking on a threatening character. Whoever has tried to impinge on the Lavra! Filaret, Epiphany, Eustratiy Zoria, Constantinople, those in power, and radicals,” said the abbess.

Mother Seraphima believes that the three lavras of the UOC, as three outposts, unite Ukraine: east and west – with the centre. And the evidence of this is the 2016 Cross Procession from Pochaiv and Sviatogorsk to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. “It was not without reason that all the forces of hell rose up then aginst that cross procession! It is scary and bitter to remember those blasphemous statements and actions, up to attempts to desecrate ancient miraculous icons, threats of murder to the cross-walkers. But true believers cannot be shaken!” resumed abbess Seraphima.

As reported, His Beatitude addressed the Congress of Monasticism of the UOC with the words: the Church is a brotherhood in Christ. 

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