Ministry of Culture explains why OCU has so few monks in Lavra

“The Lavra brethren of the OCU.” Photo: OCU

Maksym Ostapenko, director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture, has explained the small size of the OCU community in the monastery. He spoke about this in an interview with the LB Live.

According to the official, if counted together with the St. Theodosius Monastery, there are “about 25 people” from the OCU in the Lavra, including monks and novices. The journalist noted that “in reality there are fewer of them” – and Ostapenko did not object.

The reserve director sees the reason for the community’s small size in the fact that OCU clerics have gone to the front: “A huge number of priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are people who consciously joined the Ukrainian army, are fighting, and are serving as chaplains.” He also explained the tiny number of OCU monks by saying that “a huge number of people who could strengthen the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are now defending all Ukrainian society from the enemy.” In his view, had these people not gone to the front, they would have become OCU monks.

At the same time, he complained that representatives of the UOC “serve nowhere,” “are not involved in chaplaincy service,” and “are not subject to military service.” Ostapenko did not explain how the mobilization of OCU clerics prevents those who wish to take monastic vows from doing so in the Lavra.

As the UOJ reported, the head of the reserve named the number of brethren living in the Lavra.

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