Pilgrim to Kyivites: Protect Lavra – home of the Most Holy Mother of God!
A believer emphasized, "The Lord will not forgive us if we allow the revival of the worst example of our atheistic past, turning relics into an anatomical museum."
Vladislav, a pilgrim and doctor from the Vinnytsia region, called on Orthodox Kyiv residents to join in prayer for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which takes place daily at 4:00 PM near the walls of the shrine. He made this appeal in a video message published on the Telegram channel "Dozor on 'Kozak 1'".
"Dear brothers and sisters who are fortunate to live in the glorious city of Kyiv, near the walls of our holy Lavra! As a pilgrim who comes here together with others for the standing prayer, I earnestly implore you: protect the home of the Most Holy Mother of God!" Vladislav addressed the believers.
According to him, every Sunday, two to three thousand people attend church services in the Lavra's temples.
"You pray fervently, endure the heat and stuffiness in these small temples that were left to us. But after receiving the Holy Communion, you return to your homes. On weekdays, there are few people left here, most of whom are newcomers," the pilgrim noted.
He emphasized, "The Lord will not forgive us if we allow the Mother of God and the relics to be disgraced and if we let the worst example of our atheistic past come to life under the guise of a democratic state, turning the church and the holy abode into a museum, converting our sanctuaries into exhibits, and transforming holy relics into an anatomical museum."
Vladislav called on all those who "want to be under the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, under the guardianship of the Caves saints," those who do not want to "see their relics turned into museum exhibits," to stand up in defence of the shrine.
"Let us together defend our constitutional rights and show that we are Orthodox Christians and descendants of our pious ancestors. At 4:00 PM daily near the temples of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. Agapetus of the Caves. We sincerely invite all of you to come for prayer!" the pilgrim said.
As earlier reported, the monk of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Hierodeacon Pavel, urged believers to come to the prayer at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
