RCC cardinal: Silence over murder at Sviatohirsk Lavra unacceptable

The RCC Cardinal expressed condolences over the attack on the Sviatohirsk Lavra. Photo: UOJ in Serbia

Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, Archbishop of Belgrade of the Roman Catholic Church, condemned the murder of monk Varsonofiy at the Sviatohirsk Lavra in a message to the Serbian editorial office of the UOJ.

The cardinal expressed his condolences to the brotherhood of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, its abbot, Metropolitan Arseniy, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, calling the attack on the monks a grave sin and a crime against God. Ladislav Nemet called on civil society not to remain silent in the face of this tragedy.

With deep pain and grief, I received the news of the tragic events at the Sviatohirsk Lavra, where Monk Varsonofiy (Turyansky) lost his life and his fellow monks suffered severe injuries. I join the Church’s prayer for the repose of the murdered monk’s soul and for the swift and complete recovery of the wounded.

Every human life is sacred because it is created in the image of God, and violence against monks who have chosen the path of prayer and service to God constitutes a grave sin and a crime deserving the strongest condemnation, regardless of who the perpetrators are or what motives drove them.

I express my deepest condolences to the brotherhood of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy, and the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which for years has endured severe trials amid the suffering of its people in the war. I pray for peace in Ukraine and for strength for all those who, like the monks of this Lavra, remain faithful to their calling and provide shelter to those suffering despite the danger to their own lives.

I expect the competent police and prosecutorial authorities to urgently and thoroughly investigate all the circumstances of this crime, and for the perpetrators to be found and punished in accordance with the law. Silence in the face of such a crime must not be the response of a civilized society.

May the Lord receive the soul of the murdered Monk Varsonofiy into His heavenly Kingdom, and may He grant comfort and peace to all who mourn him.

With brotherly love and prayer,
Cardinal Ladislav Nemet,
Archbishop of Belgrade

As the UOJ reported, a former RCC priest who converted to Orthodoxy condemned the murder in Sviatohirsk.

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