Metropolitan Pavel speaks of pressure from Ukrainian authorities
The abbot of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra believes that the government’s actions in relation to the UOC cannot be called fully legitimate.
At the briefing, which took place in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra on Thursday, November 29, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl spoke of the pressure exerted on him and the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Ukrainian authorities, reports "Vesti".
“Today there are a lot of questions about whether the actions of the state authorities against the Church are legitimate,” noted Vladyka. “To some extent they are not legitimate, because there is pressure personally on me from all sides, threats, calls, all sorts of attacks. Not only on me but also on many other bishops and priests. I do not know the reason. But for me, the main thing is that peace and truth as it should be may eventually reign in our country.”
According to the abbot of the monastery, several cases are open against him in Ukraine.
“There are rumours, and I know from reliable sources that there are several cases opened against me, a citizen of Ukraine,” said the metropolitan. “They are classified as confidential. But we can only guess what they may incriminate me ... I want to tell you that I have never been against my state, the sovereignty of my state. I stood on the basis of the freedom of Ukraine in 1991."
Also during the briefing, Met. Pavel touched upon the situation with the inventory of shrines in the premises of the Monastery.
“I cannot say what this is – a census, an inventory. I don’t know why at this time the Ministry of Culture gave an order to check everything that was handed over in 1988, the 2000s," said the metropolitan.
We recall that on November 28, representatives of the Kiev-Pechersk Reserve (under the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine) made an inventory of the property in the Near Caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Note that such an audit is being carried out for the first time in 30 years since the revival of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
As reported by the UOJ, the Primate of the Church of Moldova Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau sent a letter to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko concerning the decisions of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to cancel the reregistration of the Pochaev Lavra buildings.
