MP: Pochaiv Lavra brethren are Moskals, the shrine must be given to Ukraine

Natalia Pipa. Photo: Pipa's Facebook

Member of Parliament Nataliia Pipa has turned her attention to the question of “liberating” the Pochaiv Lavra from what she calls its “occupation” by monks of the UOC. On her Facebook page, Pipa cited the termination of the agreement concerning the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as an example and declared that “Ukrainian shrines cannot and must never be under the control of Moscow’s puppets.”

Pipa offered no evidence that the Lavra’s brotherhood, made up of Ukrainian citizens, are in fact “puppets” acting under Moscow’s control.

“The next step should be the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra,” Pipa stated. “In April 2023, I registered a resolution in the Verkhovna Rada to terminate the agreement granting the UOC-MP the right to use the Lavra.” According to her, the brethren of the Pochaiv Lavra are “Moskals,” while “this shrine is Ukrainian and belongs to Ukraine.”

She also reported what she described as “important progress” in the Lavra case.

“The Ternopil prosecutor’s office has filed a lawsuit concerning more than 12 hectares of land under the Lavra. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine is playing an especially important role in this process. It created a special commission to inspect the use of state-owned properties of the Pochaiv Lavra. Following the inspection, the commission recorded a number of violations and recommended terminating the agreement on the Lavra’s use by the UOC-MP,” Pipa said.

She assured her audience that she would “keep pressing until a decision is made to return the Pochaiv Lavra to Ukraine without any compromises.”

“No concessions to the enemy! No Moscow puppets on Ukrainian soil!” Pipa concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that an attempted seizure had taken place at the Pochaiv Lavra.

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