Blogger comments on SSETNP's demand to Pochaiv Lavra to break ties with the UOC
Blogger Ilyina stated that the SSETNP's demand for Pochaiv Lavra to leave the structure of the UOC constitutes interference in church governance.
On July 31, 2026, blogger Ilyina commented on the directive issued by the SSETNP, according to which Pochaiv Lavra must leave the structure of the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the UOC and amend its founding documents. She spoke about this in a video on her Facebook page.
According to the directive, the monastery was given 30 days to remedy the violations identified by the agency. The Lavra must make a decision to leave the structure of the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the UOC, remove from its charter any indicators of belonging to the Church, and confirm the severance of ties that the authorities consider to be a violation.
"How can a monastery cease to be part of its Church and still remain a monastery?" asked Ilyina. She noted that monasteries do not exist separately from the diocese, the metropolitan, and the Local Church, and therefore the authorities' demands affect the very foundations of church governance.
The blogger also drew attention to the demand that the abbot declare his disagreement with his appointment to the governing bodies of the ROC and sever the corresponding ties. In her words, if proven legal facts or specific crimes exist, the state must investigate them rather than demand ecclesiastical declarations from a clergyman.
Ilyina stated that during a full-scale war, the authorities should focus on defending the country, supporting servicemen, and combating corruption. "I want to live in a state that respects the Constitution and freedom of conscience and does not try to resolve theological and canonical questions through administrative directives," she emphasized.
Previously, the UOJN reported that the SSETNP gave Pochaiv Lavra 30 days to sever ties with the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the UOC.
