Former cleric: In OCU's monastery, cells are occupied by people with families

Theodosius Monastery. Photo: open sources

At the Theodosius Monastery of the OCU, located opposite the Kyiv Caves Lavra, monastic cells have been turned into family dormitories, former cleric of Epifaniy Dumenko’s structure Yaroslav Yasenets wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the author, who previously served in the monastery as a subdeacon and priest, the situation with monasticism in the OCU remains critical. “More than half there now are married priests living in the cells with their families (!!!). And the last tonsure took place about seven years ago,” Yasenets stressed. He added that he was writing this not out of a desire to offend, but simply stating the “realities of the OCU.”

The former cleric drew a sharp contrast with the state of affairs in the canonical Church. “Nothing unusual – it’s just that the Lavra brotherhood of the UOC gained six monks in a single day when Bishop Sylvester performed the tonsure,” Yasenets commented on events in the UOC. At the same time, according to him, the OCU’s figures in the Lavra remain at zero. “Comrade Lotysh, an employee of the atheist reserve, not only failed to tonsure anyone, but even lost two members of his original brotherhood,” the author added.

Reflecting on the fate of the Lavra, he cited the words of Serbian Patriarch Pavle that God gives land to those who bear children on it, not to those who have abortions. “Who deserves the Lavra more? Time will tell,” Yasenets concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote about how Yaroslav Yasenets revealed details of the closed private life of Epifaniy Dumenko.

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