Vatican delegation venerates relics of early pope at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

The Vatican delegation at the Lavra. Photo: press service of the reserve

A Vatican delegation led by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, visited the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and venerated the relics of Hieromartyr Clement – one of the earliest popes of Rome – in the Far Caves. This was reported on the Facebook page of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.

Gallagher was accompanied by Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine Visvaldas Kulbokas and Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See Andrii Yurash. At the Dormition Cathedral, Maksym Ostapenko, director general of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, showed the visitors the damage caused by a Russian drone strike.

The reserve said the relics of Hieromartyr Clement hold “special significance for Christians of different denominations.”

“The shrine serves as a reminder of the shared roots of the Christian tradition and today once again brings Churches together in preserving spiritual heritage and supporting Ukraine,” the statement said.

As the UOJ reported earlier, the authorities conducted a tour of the Lavra for the president of the European Commission.

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