March 16 – BLiTZ. Ukraine violates the rights of millions of believers in the country by forcibly expelling monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ said in a video message. <a rel=”nofollow” href=”https://ria.ru/20230316/lavra-1858249601.html”>transmits</a> RIA News.
“I ask you to make every effort to prevent the forced closure of the monastery,” called the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to him, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution of Ukraine, as well as the UN charter and other international documents, the patriarch said.
Earlier, the leadership of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra reserve stated that the monks of the UOC must leave the territory of the Lavra before March 29. Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko added to this decision that the inhabitants of the monastery could stay if they transferred to the OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine). The viceroy of the KPL, Archimandrite Pavel (Lebed), said that he would not leave the monastery even under the threat of execution. On Wednesday, March 15, a video message from the monks to the Ukrainian authorities was released, in which they declared their loyalty to the government and asked them not to take drastic measures.
The monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra urged Vladimir Zelensky not to interfere in the affairs of the church March 15, 2023 at 18:35
