The state took away the right of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to use the lower chambers of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra free of charge and indefinitely.

What loophole can the UOC find in this matter?

In an exclusive interview with TSN.ua, father Heorhiy Kovalenko, a clergyman of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, rector of the Open Orthodox University of Saint Sophia-Wisdom, told about this.

"I did not hear in the statements of the Ukrainian authorities that the authorities want money. Yes, indeed, the use was free and this is also a strange story. I think that the state has a political motivation to implement the decision of the National Security Council regarding the spiritual security of Ukraine, the desire to release hostages inside the Ukrainian of the Orthodox Church from the Moscow Patriarchate and the people and structures associated with them," the priest said.

On the other hand, according to Kovalenko, this is a certain requirement.

"I see that the state is still open to dialogue and proposals. Similarly, Ukrainian society, the media and other religious organizations, including the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, will follow the development of events. But these are relations between Ukraine and the Moscow Patriarchate. "Sometimes the Moscow Patriarchate tries to present this situation as if it is their problem with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. They have a problem with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The problem of inadequate position, inadequate actions during the war," explained the cleric of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

We will remind you that on March 15, the Metropolitan of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate recorded a video in which he said that he prayed for the presidency of the head of state Volodymyr Zelensky even before the elections.

Currently, the monks of the UOC MP are outraged that they are being evicted from the Lavra

Read also:

  • A pro-Russian "church blogger" was arrested in Transcarpathia: photo

  • The SBU detained the abbot of the UOC MP temple: he was collecting intelligence for the FSB in Sumy Oblast

  • He campaigned for "joining" Russia and helped the occupiers: a priest was convicted in Ukraine