Pope Francis in his address to the audience expressed concern about the current situation around the Orthodox monastery “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” in the capital of Ukraine.
The Pope said: “I am thinking about placing Orthodox monks in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. I ask the parties to the conflict to respect religious places.”
The Pope stressed that monks and clergy “should be the support of the flock of the Lord” regardless of their religion.
The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is considered one of the first monasteries in the capital of Ancient Russia, Kiev, since it was founded in 1051 under Yaroslav the Wise by monk Anthony, a native of Lyubech, and his disciple Theodosius, where Prince Svyatoslav II presented a plateau above the caves (hence the literal translation of the name of the monastery “Pechersky Monastery”) and beautiful stone churches, decorated with paintings, towers of fortresses and other buildings were built here.
Earlier, Archbishop Pavlo, vicar of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, said that from January 1, 2023, Ukrainian Orthodox clergy would be denied entry to the “Refectory” church and the Assumption Cathedral, as the administration of the cultural reserve refused to renew contracts with the church. Ukrainian Orthodox now fear that Kiev authorities will transfer both synagogues to the dissident Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Orthodox Church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra if they join the schismatic Orthodox Church.
Source: News
