Head of DECR MP: UOC needed the Council, including for Lavra's protection

The decisions of the Council of the UOC, which took place on May 27, 2022, were aimed, among other things, at protecting its property. This was stated by the head of the DECR MP, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasized that as soon as the supporters of the OCU learned about the impending decision of the Council, they immediately demanded that part of the Lavra buildings of the UOC be transferred to them for use.

“When the schismatics learned that a Council was being prepared by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and that the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church could be proclaimed at this Council, they declared their ‘rights’ to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and demanded that the state transfer part of the buildings of the Lavra to them for use. Therefore I think that the actions taken by the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were aimed, among other things, at protecting its property,” said Metropolitan Hilarion in the Church and the World program.

In addition, the head of the DECR MP noted that the law of the Verkhovna Rada on the renaming of the UOC (No. 2662-VIII) is intended not only to forcibly rename the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, but also to re-register all its parishes, mospat.ru reports.

Recall that on May 23, 2022, the OCU created the “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” structure and requested one of the churches in the upper part of the monastery from the authorities.

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