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Monks of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra cloister call on Zelensky to stop meddling in church affairs

Metropolitan Pavel stressed that the monastery was ready to cooperate with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve, but dismissed suspicions that the monks intended to remove the sacred relics that are kept at the religious site

MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. The monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, following a decision by Ukrainian officials to evict them from the monastery, appealed to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday with a request to refrain from interfering in church affairs.

"Today we take the opportunity to appeal to the President of Ukraine, to the Cabinet of Ministers, and to the Verkhovna Rada," said Metropolitan Pavel, the monastery’s rector, in a video message posted on the Lavra’s website. "We are asking once again not to interfere in the affairs of the Church. Please leave the monks at the monastery in peace."

He added that the monastery was ready to cooperate with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve, but dismissed suspicions that the monks intended to remove the sacred relics that are kept at the religious site.

One of the monastery’s monks recalled that they had prayed for Zelensky's victory in the 2019 election. Another, speaking in English, declared that the monks would not go anywhere. "We are not afraid of anybody or anything. We are ready to be here to the end," he stressed, adding that should someone want to come into the monastery and frog-march him and his brothers in faith out by force, they were ready.

On March 10, an eviction notice was uploaded to the monastery’s website from the CEO of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Historical and Cultural Reserve, stating that the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church-affiliated monks of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra must vacate the monastery by March 29, when the current lease expires. The notice clarifies that the working group that had identified a violation of the terms of the lease was established by decree of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

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