New Esphigmenou abbot at Lavra: OCU is a "deep spiritual movement"
Athonite Archimandrite Bartholomew, attending a celebration at the Lavra, assured attendees that the creation of the OCU was not a political act.
On July 10, 2026, an OCU "service" was held at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, attended by the abbot of the Athonite Monastery of New Esphigmenou, Archimandrite Bartholomew, along with several other monks.
In his address, Archimandrite Bartholomew stated that the creation of the "independent Church of Ukraine" is "not a political act" and "not merely an administrative change," but rather "a deep spiritual movement" and "a return to truth." The Athonite guest connected the history of the OCU to the name of St. Anthony, and called upon the faithful to "unite around the Lavra" and support Dumenko's structure.
At the same time, while denying the political nature of what was taking place, the Athonite abbot presented the head of the OCU with an episcopal staff "as a symbol" of the bond with the Mother Church and a copy of the icon of the Mother of God "Arsaniotissa." The choir, led by Archon Protopsaltis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Gregory Daravanoglou, performed hymns in the Byzantine tradition.
The Archimandrite assured those present that "the entire Holy Mountain" supports the OCU.
"From every monastery, every skete and kellion of Athos, from every heart of an Athonite monk, a prayer ascends — for peace, for strengthening, for life," declared the abbot of New Esphigmenou.
As a reminder, the Athonite Monastery of Esphigmenou, where, according to tradition, St. Anthony of the Caves took monastic vows, "is currently under one of the Old Calendar jurisdictions and has no communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch," as Archbishop Iona said. The hierarch noted that the brotherhood of this monastery numbers more than a hundred monastics, while the delegation that arrived in Kyiv represents a monastery of only a few monks.
The UOJ previously reported that Athonite monks expressed protest over Dumenko's visit to the Holy Mountain.
