Deputy Gavrilov answered the question about the possible capture of the Pochaev Lavra

Sergei Gavrilov.
© press service of Sergey Gavrilov

The current Ukrainian authorities are trying to firmly tie everyone who adheres to canonical Orthodoxy to the political supporters of Russia, and therefore to the enemies of the state. Sergei Gavrilov, President of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, Deputy Coordinator of the Inter-Factional Working Group of the State Duma on Improving Legislation on the Protection of Christian Values, spoke about this in an interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta.

On March 29, by decision of the Kyiv authorities, the lease agreement concluded with the clergy of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is terminated, and all the premises of the monastery must be vacated.

Sergey Gavrilov is sure that the persecution of canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine that has begun on this will not stop, but will only intensify. In particular, he drew attention to the fact that another well-known monastery in the entire Christian world, the Pochaev Lavra, ended the lease this year. “This monastery is not in such high media attention as the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Therefore, neo-Nazis will be able to act more cruelly there – up to the physical elimination of the monks, ”the parliamentarian believes.

He also noted bitterly that “most likely, the same will happen in relation not only to large monasteries, but to thousands of churches and small monasteries in Ukraine, where canonical Orthodoxy is professed.”

“The Ukrainian authorities are trying to firmly tie everyone who adheres to it today to the political supporters of Russia, which means to the enemies of the state. Therefore, I do not rule out that there we can see mass cases of violence against priests and monks, mass bloodshed and repression against those believers who consider themselves part of the canonical Orthodox Church, ”said Sergey Gavrilov.

Read the full article on the Parlamentskaya Gazeta website later.

Read also:

• Gavrilov called the conditions for ending the persecution of Orthodoxy in Ukraine • The Synod of the UOC called on parishioners to defend the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra