The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate responded to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Epiphanius, who called on the brethren of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to contribute to the process of liberation from the “Moscow yoke”.

The UOC-MP states that the eviction of the monks from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra allegedly “provokes the Russians” and “gives them new arguments to justify their aggression.”

They won't go to VCU

Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate stated that the monks of the Lavra made up their minds on January 27, 2023, when they declared that they “were, are and will be in Truth and are faithful to their canonical Church and its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry” and will not go to the HCU.

The UOC-MP recalled the words of the representative of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov that the eviction of the monks from the Lavra justifies the goals of the Russian “deal”.

The church also recalled the words of the monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: at the end of January they declared that they would remain faithful to their church and its primate Onufry.

Deny ties to Moscow

And the UOC-MP again denies its ties with Moscow: “It is written in all church and state documents that it is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that performs worship in the Lavra today.

Not a single official church and state document contains the words “Moscow Church” or “Moscow Patriarchate”.

The eviction of the monks of the UOC-MP from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: the main thing

• On March 10, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve sent a warning to the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Male Monastery) of the UOC-MP about the termination of the Agreement on the gratuitous use of religious buildings and other property that is state property.
• The monks of the Russian Church are forced to leave the territory of the Ukrainian shrine.
• Of course, in Russia they could not but comment on such a “disrespectful” attitude towards representatives of the UOC-MP. The Russian Patriarch Kirill decided to protect his “subjects” and called for “saving” the Lavra.