Lavra abbot: I was told in SBU to recognise Epifaniy
Metropolitan Pavel said that SBU officers and the Reserve assured him that the brethren would go to the OCU in his absence.
On June 29, 2023, the next court hearing in the case of Metropolitan Pavel, the Lavra abbot, was to take place. However, the hearing was postponed until 6 July because the prosecutor did not come.
In the courtroom, Metropolitan Pavel said that law enforcers promised him criminal prosecution if he did not recognize the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko. A video of the bishop's words was posted by the First Cossacks' Telegram channel.
"I was summoned to the SBU and the museum and told – compromise, recognise Epifaniy. This has never happened and will never happen, because I know what a schism is. We still have the Supreme Court," the bishop said.
According to him, he was told by the SBU that when he was removed from the monastery, the brethren would join the OCU. But this did not happen.
Earlier Dumenko said that anyone who wants to live as a monk in the Lavra can do so.
