Showdown at Lavra: why supporters of Epifaniy do not need the shrine

Dumenko believes that those who are picketing the Lavra are fighting against spiritual slavery. Photo: UOJ

In the Lavra, the UOC believers continue to stand for their shrine. Now – without the abbot. Early in the morning of April 2, the SBU came to Metropolitan Pavel and handed over a suspicion under the article on inciting inter-religious hatred. The court sentenced him to 60 days of house arrest without the right to attend services in the Lavra and obliged to wear an electronic bracelet.

Metropolitan Pavel, abbot of the Kyiv Caves Lavra: “Your Holinesses of the Local Orthodox Churches, Your Beatitudes, our Synod, the episcopate. This is how they treat undesirable people in our country.”

Nevertheless, the standing of the believers continues. They are standing against the fact that their shrine, as in the godless Soviet Union, is closed. Against the fact that temples are again turned into places for exhibitions, concerts, or given to those for whom these shrines mean nothing. A prayer sounds in front of the Lavra from early morning until late at night. But right in front of the believers there is another standing of those who demand to eject the Church from the monastery. With their help, Dumenko targets the Lavra.

Epifaniy Dumenko, head of the OCU: “As the Ukrainian church we will get a place, we will get a temple in order to continue the monastic life. This is an irreversible process."

In the situation at hand, many were interested in the position of the head of the OCU regarding the confrontation at the Lavra. After all, the defenders of the Lavra have only been praying for several days. In turn, their opponents are engaged in something completely different. What does Epifaniy think about this? He gave a clear assessment.

Epifaniy Dumenko. head of the OCU: “We see who they gathered there, with what moods, with anti-Ukrainian sentiments. There are those who defend the so-called ‘Russian world’, this ideology, which brought these sufferings, these trials into our home with war.”

Consequently, Dumenko believes that all these people who have been praying at the Lavra for many days without interruption are defending the “Russian world” and imposing anti-Ukrainian sentiments. But if the incessant prayer of the believers of the UOC works “against” Ukraine, what works “for” then? What are those who promote the OCU doing? The leader of this organization explains: “We are called to stop this ‘Russian world’, everything that is trying to return us to spiritual slavery from inside.”

In the video below you can see what methods the proponents of Epifaniy resist this "spiritual slavery" with.

Can it be really serious that for the sake of these people, the Church should leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra? Is it to them that believers are obliged to give up their shrine, one of the most revered in the Orthodox world, where their ancestors prayed for a thousand years? Why do they need Lavra? To mock the relics, as their grandfathers did a hundred years ago?

Recall that from the moment of its foundation, the Lavra belonged to the brethren, belonged to the Church. Until the Bolsheviks took it away and handed it over to the so-called "people", but in fact – to those for whom temples, shrines, faith are an empty phrase. Likewise, today the new Bolsheviks are trying to take away the shrine and give it to, as they say, "the Ukrainian people." As if believers of the UOC are not a people.

Archimandrite Polycarp (Linenko), liturgist of the Kyiv Caves Lavra: “This mountain, on which there is a large church and a bell tower, was presented to our monastery by Prince Iziaslav, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. But our state still lives according to the precepts of Lenin. They announced that it is all ‘folk’, belongs to some people. Do they mean the people that call the relics of the saints ‘exhibits’? For the truly Ukrainian people, these are all folk shrines, but for them, these are exhibits. No one returned what has always belonged to the monastery. This is our property. But they didn't give it to us."

100 years ago, the Bolsheviks took the Lavra from the Church, saying that it was "anti-Soviet". Today, the authorities and Dumenko are doing exactly the same, simply replacing the words “anti-Soviet” with “anti-Ukrainian”. But the essence remains the same – the shrine is taken away from those who believe in God to be transferred to and desecrated by those for whom "God" and "faith" are an empty phrase. People who arrange discos near the shrine, muffle worship with the loud music, call for murder, talk about polytheism, glorify Satan, the Muslim prophet Muhammad, who simply grimaces and mocks the believers – all these poor people, according to Epifaniy, "resist spiritual slavery".

Can these people be called those who wage spiritual warfare? Obviously not. Those who are now picketing the Lavra are spiritually sick people. One can only feel sorry for them.

His Beatitude Onuphry, Primate of the UOC: “To those who dance and sing in this holy place dewed with tears, blood, sweat of our ascetics, I wish them to stop acting the way they do, since one day they will have to answer for their life, their actions before God. Do not blaspheme and defile the shrine with your unworthy behavior. May the Lord help you, may you all repent and be saved.”

There is nothing to add to the words of the Primate. One can only wish to those picketing the Lavra to see themselves from the outside and understand that one day they will have to answer for their unworthy behavior. So will have their mastermind Epifaniy Dumenko, who is trying to seize the monastery using lies and manipulations.

In turn, the believers will be prayerfully defending their Lavra. Because it is their shrine, which they won't give up for mocking.

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