OCU lobbyist: In the coming years, the UOC will not lose the Pochaiv Lavra

Thousands of believers at the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Pochaiv Lavra. Photo: Pochaiv Monastery

Andriy Smirnov, an external expert of DESS and a member of the OCU Synodal Commission, explained on the YouTube channel VICHE why, in his opinion, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has not been deprived of the Pochaiv Lavra.

"I believe that in the coming years, no one will be able to take this Lavra away from the UOC. This is an objective reality – whether someone likes it or not," Smirnov said.

He stated that, first of all, the UOC has very strong influence in Pochaiv and the region.

Secondly, the OCU lobbyist claims that the complexity also lies in the fact that the Uniates (Greek Catholics) also lay claim to the Orthodox shrine.

At the same time, according to the DESS expert, if the state "wants" to expropriate something from one confession, then it "has the right to do so."

"If we see that there are court proceedings and the state is terminating agreements and wants to transfer a certain monastery to another church, then, first of all, it probably has the right to do so, and secondly, the OCU should be ready to accept this property," Smirnov stated, but immediately added that the OCU itself is not ready.

Thirdly, he acknowledged that Dumenko's structure does not have a sufficient number of monks to populate and maintain such a large monastery in the event of its seizure.

As the UOJ previously reported, Andriy Smirnov admitted that the OCU lacks monks, and they are aware of this.

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