Kyiv Pechersk Lavra head denies congregation prayed for Russia at church service
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“A video appeared on the Internet where we’re allegedly praying for Russia in the Lavra, etc.,” he said in a video message on YouTube.
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“This is false, since at the liturgy we pray to God for our state, for our army, for our president and commemorate only our superior, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy (the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate).”
According to Metropolitan Pavlo, the monastery’s Father Zakhariy, who allowed the singing of a song glorifying Russia, has been banned from serving the liturgy.
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Archimandrite Polikarp, a representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, said the priest was busy and did not hear what “this group of activists was singing.”
“The Lavra’s spiritual council will meet soon to analyze this situation and decide who should give penance and who should be punished,” he said.
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A footage of people praying for Russia during a church service at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra appeared on the Internet on Nov. 12.
Ukraine’s SBU security service has initiated criminal proceedings on glorifying the “Russian World” during the church service at the Lavra.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
