Zelensky on the Kyiv Lavra: Ukraine is strengthening its spiritual independence

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has taken another step to strengthen its spiritual independence and that the Ukrainian state grants religious freedom.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address

Quote: "Today, a step has also been taken to strengthen the spiritual independence of our state, to protect our society from the old and cynical Moscow manipulation of religion. 

Ukraine is the territory of the greatest religious freedom in our part of Europe. It has been so since 1991. It will always be so."

Background: On 29 March, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) held its last service in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the lower grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. UOC-MP clergy must leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on 30 March, although they are reluctant to do so and have therefore filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.

Meanwhile Avraamii (Lotysh), Archimandrite of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the UOC-MP, has joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and asked its head, Metropolitan Epiphanius, to approve him as acting abbot of the monastery. Epiphanius has agreed, and UOC-MP Metropolitan Onufriy has banned Archimandrite Avraamii (Lotysh) from serving for going over to the OCU.

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