UOC Chancellor calls for not silencing the murder of a monk at Svyatogorsk Lavra
Metropolitan Anthony stated the need for an objective investigation into the attack at Svyatogorsk Lavra.
The Chancellor of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), has called on society and law enforcement not to silence the murder of a monk at Svyatogorsk Lavra. The hierarch emphasized the need for an objective investigation into the crime that took place at the monastery.
The UOC Chancellor stressed that the attack on the monks was a tragic challenge to religious freedom. "Does someone have the right to kill with impunity simply because another person is 'of the wrong faith,' 'of the wrong confession,' 'of the wrong church jurisdiction'? The Christian conscience cannot accept the idea that human life has different value depending on which church community a person belongs to," the bishop addressed.
Metropolitan Anthony noted that the brethren of the Lavra were beaten and stabbed precisely for their faithfulness to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He also linked the tragedy to the long-standing atmosphere of pressure on the canonical Church. According to him, the initiators of raider seizures of churches, deputies voting for unconstitutional laws, and media spreading slander have created a situation in which UOC believers are perceived as second-class people.
"And today I especially want to address all those on whom the investigation of this tragedy depends: do not let this death dissolve into cold public indifference," the archpastor appealed. "Not for the sake of any political force. Not for the sake of anyone's reputation. For the sake of a human being. For the sake of the memory of the murdered monk."
In conclusion of his address, Metropolitan Anthony expressed words of support to the abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Arseny, and to all the brethren of Svyatogorsk. "May the Lord grant rest to the soul of monk Barsanuphius in the dwellings of the righteous. May He heal the wounded. May He strengthen the Svyatogorsk brethren. And may He grant us all the courage to remain Christians... above all, when faithfulness to Christ comes at a great cost," the bishop concluded.
As the SPJ reported, on August 23, unknown persons brutally murdered a monk of Svyatogorsk Lavra, monk Barsanuphius (Turyansky), and seriously wounded two more people. At present, the police have opened criminal proceedings on charges of premeditated murder. Procedural supervision is being carried out by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Eastern Region.
