Head of UGCC: We lay claim to St. Sophia and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Photo: Apostrof

In an interview with Apostrof, Sviatoslav Shevchuk stated that “shrines must be accessible to everyone.” Responding to a question about the ownership of the Pochaiv and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavras, Shevchuk remarked: “When one Church monopolizes or privatizes a particular church or shrine, it means that another part of society is automatically excluded.”

According to him, there are several shrines that should be open to all. He named St. Sophia of Kyiv and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra among them.

“This is the cradle of Kyiv monasticism, from which all monastic communities of our Churches belonging to this Kyiv monastic tradition have come forth,” the head of the UGCC emphasized. “Therefore, if we think in this way, we will be able, on the one hand, to free ourselves from the monopoly of the Russian world over our history – because many of them wanted to appropriate our Kyiv Mother Church – and on the other hand, to build such an inclusive identity of ours, one that marginalizes no one, but creates a space of freedom for all.”

Speaking about St. Sophia Cathedral, he noted that there is an ancient piece of graffiti in classical Armenian inside. According to him, “if Armenians could once be present in Sophia, then, all the more, Greek Catholics can pray there.”

Thus, in Shevchuk’s words, Greek Catholics, as “heirs of that Kyiv Church,” must “know how to serve God and the Ukrainian people together.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Shevchuk had said Greek Catholics and the OCU are reviving in Kyiv the ancient center of Christianity.

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