In the letter, the primates refer to the people of Ukraine and the hardships of the war noting that “As the Primates of our Churches, we pray fervently for just and lasting peace in Ukraine. In our prayers, we especially remember those who have remained in their homeland in moments of distress, those who are defending the freedom of their country, their people, the dignity of life, and the future of their children and grandchildren. These brave and self-sacrificing individuals — men and women, young and old — are an example to all. Today, Ukraine, like Rachel in the Bible, mourns her children who are no longer present (Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:18): the dead, the imprisoned, the forcibly displaced, the missing, and the millions who have had to leave their homeland and seek refuge in the diaspora”.

To the displaced due to the war Ukrainians that found refuge in Finland the two Primates say “Therefore, turn with confidence to the Orthodox Church of Finland. As an Autonomous Church within the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it always wants to be close to you, like a mother — praying to the Lord and serving with mercy. As the Primates of our Churches, we invite everyone to seek spiritual refuge in its communities, demonstrating that the richness of Orthodoxy lies in its diversity and beauty beyond language and cultural boundaries. We assure you that dozens of churches and chapels in various towns and villages throughout Finland are open to you. They want to welcome and embrace you, so that everyone may feel that the Church does not leave you and never forsakes you.”

Read below the joint pastoral letter:

Patriarch Kirill, a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin, described Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a battle against the “forces of evil”.

Ukrainian authorities said in a statement that they “collected evidence against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Gudyaev (known as Kirill).”

He is “a member of the inner circle of senior military and political leaders in Russia and (…) one of the first to publicly support the war against Ukraine”.

Patriarch Kirill undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity by justifying the armed attack, according to Ukrainian authorities.

“Measures will be taken to bring him to justice for the crimes committed against our state,” they added.

Ukraine, a predominantly Orthodox country, severed ties with Orthodox institutions linked to Russia after the war began.

In October, the Ukrainian parliament voted to ban the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), accusing its members of collaborating with Russia.

According to the statement, the two prime ministers noted “the importance of work related to the organization of the search for the relics of St. Theodora in Ukraine and the graves of Hetmans Pylyp Orlyk and Ivan Mazepa in Romania.”

Saint Theodora of Sihla (August 7) lived during the reign of Prince Vasile Lupu. After her blessed repose in the Lord, her body remained in the cave where she had spent most of her ascetic life. Still, during the Russian occupation of the Romanian Principalities, the relics were taken to the Kiyv Pechersk Lavra.

In 1992, attempts to acquire these holy relics for the canonization of Saint Theodora were unsuccessful.

Who are the two national heroes of Ukraine

Ivan Mazepa and Pylyp Orlyk are the two national heroes of Ukraine for whose remains the relics of Saint Theodora could be exchanged.

Ivan Mazepa was a hetman of the Zaporizhian Cossacks in Ukraine between 1687 and 1709, a national hero in Ukraine, a vehement opponent of the Russians, and considered the father of the idea of Ukrainian independence. He was buried in the Church of St. George in the city of Galaţi, but his tomb was destroyed in 1962 when the church was demolished.

Pylyp Orlyk was a legendary Cossack who died in Iasi in 1742. He was a prominent member of the General Military Chancellery of hetman Ivan Mazepa.

Photography courtesy of Doxologia / Oana Nechifor
Source: basilica.ro

“It is a historic decision,” MP Ina Shofshun wrote on Facebook.

According to another deputy, Yaroslav Zeleznyak, the bill was approved by 267 deputies, far more than the required majority of 226 votes.

The text, whose consideration at the second reading is not known at present, prohibits any activity of “religious organizations” linked to “the country carrying out the armed aggression against Ukraine”.

Once the most popular in Ukraine, a country with a strong majority of Orthodox Christians, the Church targeted by this decision has been losing adherents for years and as a result, Ukrainian national sentiment is gaining popularity against the former Russian power.

This process was accelerated by the creation in 2018 of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church independent of Moscow, and then even more so after the start, in February 2022, of the Russian invasion.

For its part, Moscow accuses Ukraine of being biased against anything connected to Russia and partially justifies its attack on the neighboring country by saying it is defending Russian-speaking populations.

According to a poll conducted in July 2022 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 54% of Ukrainians identified with the independent Church and only 4% with the one under the Russian Patriarchate, compared to 42% and 18% respectively in the previous year.

In addition, 66% of Ukrainians favored banning the Church loyal to Moscow, according to a poll released in June 2023 by the same organization.

The Russian-affiliated Orthodox Church had announced in May 2022 the rupture of its relations with the Russian Church, whose Patriarch, Kirill, supports the invasion. However, the Ukrainian government believes it remains de facto dependent on Moscow.

Thus, the Ukrainian security services (SBU) accuse Metropolitan Paul, the spiritual leader of the Russian Orthodox in Ukraine, of “justifying the armed attack by the Russian Federation”.

The abbot of Kyiv’s Lavra of the Caves monastery was placed under house arrest for several months and then imprisoned for some time before being released on bail.

Metropolitan Emmanuel conveyed warm greetings on behalf of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Metropolitan Epiphaniy and the whole Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

“With the blessing of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, I arrived in Kyiv to show the support of the Mother Church to the heroic people of Ukraine, who oppose the unjust and cruel Russian aggression.

During the visit of President of Ukraine Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky to the Ecumenical Patriarchate a month ago, we discussed the humanitarian dimension of the plan proposed by Ukraine in order to restore peace.

We also discussed other humanitarian initiatives. We agreed that we would continue to work in this direction. Therefore, at the invitation of the President of Ukraine, I also arrived to fulfill this important mission,” said Metropolitan Emmanuel.

During the meeting, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine had a warm conversation on the phone.

On the same day, Metropolitan Epiphaniy and Metropolitan Emmanuel visited the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Monastery, where they met governor Archimandrite Abraham. He spoke about the Cathedral and the current state of the monastery, which will gradually be freed from the Russian yoke.

Metropolitan Emmanuel met with the President of Ukraine

The Head of State noted that the visit of the Metropolitan was a very important signal of support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people from the Ecumenical Patriarchate during the full-scale war unleashed by Russia.

“I greatly appreciate the dialogue we continued with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during my recent visit to Türkiye. It was very important,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The President conveyed an invitation to the Ecumenical Patriarch to visit Ukraine.

For his part, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon conveyed to the Head of State the best greetings from His All-Holiness.

“We strongly support you in this difficult moment. You can rest assured of our support and of everything we can do on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” he said.

During the conversation, attention was paid to the spiritual independence of Ukraine, the discussion of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, and the issue of the return of children illegally deported from the country.

“For a long time, the Ukrainian people were subjected to Russian ideology in almost all aspects of life, including the Julian calendar and the celebration of Christmas on January 7,” said the explanatory text of the bill voted by lawmakers in mid-July.

“The strong rebirth of the Ukrainian nation continues. The constant and successful battle for their own identity contributes to the awareness and desire of every Ukrainian to live their own life, with their own traditions, own holidays, ” the text says.

The decision to change the date Christmas is celebrated is the latest in a series of changes made by the Ukrainian authoritiestowards “de-Russification”. Among other things, they have been renamed streets and cities the name of which was given during the Soviet era.

The latter law demonstrates the ever-growing gap between the churches of Kyiv and Moscow, a gap that deepened further following the Russian invasion.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine was declared autocephalous and independent from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019.

Few Orthodox Churches in the world, including those in Russia or Serbia, still use the Julian calendar for their religious holidays rather than the Gregorian calendar.

“A Russian missile hit the altar – it was completely destroyed and the entire structure of the building was damaged,” he mentioned in his post on Facebook.

And he added: “Architecture experts are currently working to assess the possibility of restoring the church. I am grateful to our partners in Europe for their willingness to join the reconstruction” but “the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God has been saved.”

Read the post of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and watch the video that was filmed inside the Cathedral below:

“The consequences of Russian terror against Odesa. Destruction of Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Odesa and one of the most valuable churches in Ukraine. A Russian missile hit the altar – it was completely destroyed and the entire structure of the building was damaged.

Architecture experts are currently working to assess the possibility of restoring the church. I am grateful to our partners in Europe for their willingness to join the reconstruction.

Most importantly, the Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God has been saved, and the heart of the church is alive.”

After a really interesting discussion in front of the boardwalk of Thessaloniki the Rector of Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy honored Professor Dimitriadis with the Cross that symbolizes the 225 anniversary of the foundation of the Academy.

Special mention was made of Professor Petros Vassiliadis’s contribution to Volyn’s Academy publications and works and his general contribution to theology.

In the second part of Metropolitan Epifaniy’s interview (read the first part here), His Beatitude speaks openly and analytically about how he and the Church are experiencing war and reveals whether and how a union of his Church with the Russian Church in Ukraine under Metropolitan Onufriy would be possible.

He also refers to the transition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to the “new style calendar” and how easy it is for the faithful to get used to it, analyzing the process of transferring the parishes to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

He expresses his own view on what the day after the war will be like for Ukraine and for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Interview of Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv to Orthodox Times and journalist Kostas Onisenko

I would like to ask you about the transition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to the “new style calendar”. In your opinion, how long will it take for believers to get used to this change? How will this change be implemented in practice? Will believers be able to choose when to celebrate religious holidays?

The decision to reform the calendar is an important step towards the development of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. I can point out three key steps that have been taken to ensure that the Church of Ukraine is able to respond to modern challenges and is truly the one that assures the salvation of the flock entrusted to it. These steps are: the use of the Ukrainian language during worship and the affirmation of the autocephalous status of the Church, when Moscow’s lawless and non-canonical rule over the Church of Ukraine ends. Calendar changes are the third step.

We took all three steps in a balanced and responsible manner, realizing that they must be done consciously within the church environment – this is the only way to have solid foundations. That is why, for example, our Church allows people to freely choose the language of worship and there are communities that use ancient Slavic, Greek, Georgian, Romanian and other languages – those used by Local Churches. But it is obvious that priority is given to the “living” Ukrainian language because it is understandable to the majority and makes the Liturgy understandable, encouraging the laity to participate more consciously in it.

The same goes for the autocephaly. The Moscow Patriarchate seized power over the Church of Ukraine in the late 17th century by force, bribery and violation of the Canon law. This has brought much harm to both the Church and the Ukrainian people. And as soon as favorable external conditions allowed overthrowing Moscow’s yoke, the Church of Ukraine began to fight for its independence. This struggle culminated when we received the Tomos of the autocephaly in January 2019.

Now it is the duty of all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, according to the religious Canon law and as the Tomos stipulates, fall under the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In fact, we see that some Orthodox Christians still follow the Moscow Patriarchate. We encourage them to abandon spiritual possession, fulfill their Canonical duty and join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. And many of them have already done so voluntarily because we want this ongoing process to take place consciously, as an expression of the will of the parishes.

We act in the same way in relation to the style of the calendar we follow. In previous centuries, the subject of the style of the calendar, that is adherence to the old style calendar, was one of the signs of resistance to attempts to change the ethnic and religious identity of Ukrainians. Therefore, the majority in the Church was in favor of keeping the old style calendar. But now conditions have changed – the majority of both Church and society see that the new style, the New Julian calendar is used as a sign of unity with those Orthodox Churches, notably the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which supports both the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their just struggle. And the old style calendar has been linked to the Russian cultural tradition and is now causing negative reactions.

We dealt responsibly with the issue of the style of the calendar and for several years we looked for ways of solving it. And this year we saw that the majority of both the Church and society seek to the realization of the calendar reform. That is why we brought this decision to the Bishops’ Council, which approved the calendar reform (it was adopted with only one vote against among all the bishops).

Now, in the Local Council, which is the highest authority within our Church, along with the participation of representatives from the clergy, the monks and the laity, we will have to ratify the final decision. Afterwards, from September 1, when the new ecclesiastical year begins, we, as a Local Church, will join the majority of the Orthodox Churches that follow the New Julian calendar.

However, the parishes and monasteries that wish to continue to follow the old style calendar can do so if two-thirds of the community supports this decision. We will not force anyone but we would like the acceptance process to be voluntary and conscious.

In my opinion, a smaller part of the communities will use this right and the vast majority will use the common New Julian calendar. And over time, even those who initially used the old style calendar will begin to adopt the new style because they will be convinced that this decision is better for the Church and our people. I think that during the first year there will still be some questions because it will be a new experience for everyone. This is because the usual holiday days will change. But in a few years, everything will become familiar. Also, I think that at the next Local Council (Sobor), which is going to take place in five years according to the Charter, we will be able to declare the success of the calendar reform.

How is the process of the passing of the parishes under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine progressing? Have the difficulties you recently encountered in registering the relevant decisions been addressed?

Well, daily reports have been published about the decision of parishes of one or another region to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In general, this process goes through several phases – some internal or external events lay the foundation for greater mobility – but in general it does not stop. For example, the attack by clerics of the Moscow Patriarchate against a military officer in Khmelnytsky Cathedral, who criticized them for their ties to Russia, was an incentive to proceed more actively with the transition. This attack provoked an outcry and led to the decision of many communities, including those in Khmelnytsky and its district, to finally oppose the Moscow Patriarchate.

The actions or more precisely, the inertia of Metropolitan Onufriy and his Synod also provoked the decision to leave the Moscow Patriarchate. Some priests and communities expected their hierarchs to take some appropriate steps and change their stance in relation to the war, Gundyayev (Patriarch Kirill of Moscow), and dialogue. But every meeting of the Synod of Onufriy turns into a disappointment for many who have such expectations because no new decision is taken. Onufriy and his entourage are certain that they are doing everything right, while laymen and clergy can see that this kind of behavior has led their jurisdiction to a complete public disaster (in other words, this tarnished their image). Because 85% of the population of Ukraine, according to polls, is in favor of the restriction of the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate by the state and, in particular, more than 60%, that is, two-thirds of our citizens, support a total ban on the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Let us talk about the delays in recording the will of the parishes. These delays were generally eliminated after the change of the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine and the state agency responsible for religious matters. The previous leaders of these authorities clearly and publicly expressed their sympathy for the Moscow Patriarchate and used their authority to prevent the parishes from liberating themselves from the yoke of the “Russian world.” However, over the last six months, the situation has changed for the better and there is no longer any unlawful interference in these proceedings.

Now let us talk about the Church in Ukraine as well. Do you think that there is room for discussion with Onufriy and is union with the Russian Church in Ukraine possible? What would be your terms for such a union?

We have repeatedly called and continue to call on Onufriy and others who, contrary to the rules, remain subservient to Moscow, to start a dialogue. Let us start without any preconditions. Just let us sit down and start talking, so that through dialogue solutions can be found that will benefit both the Church and Ukraine.

But Metropolitan Onufriy completely denies any attempt to start a dialogue. He refuses to have any contact and forbids everyone else from doing so, even when it is proposed to be done informally. Therefore, church unification is taking place – but in contrast to the position adopted by him and by his Synod. It happens in a bottom-up manner.

A year ago, during an important meeting led by Onufriy, he adopted three prerequisites. The prerequisites were not about unification but about whether the hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine would start thinking whether they would start a dialogue with us.

The first prerequisite was to publicly acknowledge that we are not clergy and that we have not been ordained. That is, in order to satisfy the Moscow Patriarchate, we must renounce God, the sacraments we have joined and performed ourselves, and finally to renounce the decisions of our Mother Church, the Ecumenical Patriarch. Is this a really prerequisite for dialogue? Any reasonable person would say no.

The second prerequisite was to publicly acknowledge that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine had no Tomos and that it was not an autocephalous Church. This is what Moscow really aims at in order to be able to reject canonical authority and the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It is clear why they need this to happen – so that, if not on paper, then in practice Moscow would have the right to “veto” Orthodoxy and, therefore, no one would be able to decide anything without them. But does the Church need this; can something like this be accepted by the faithful and the people of Ukraine? Any reasonable person would say no.

The third prerequisite was to state that we would not accept into our jurisdiction parishes that voluntarily withdraw from the authority of the Moscow Patriarchate. But we have never recognized and cannot recognize that the Moscow Patriarchate possesses parishes. It is as if it was the master who possesses slaves. The parishioners and clergy are not slaves of the Moscow Patriarchate and whoever acknowledges this sins.

Therefore, their preconditions are a way for the Moscow Patriarchate to refuse dialogue with us. We will never accept such conditions because no reasonable person would accept them. If they abandon their ultimatum and are ready to talk with us without preconditions, we will be ready for dialogue as of tomorrow. But so far, there has been no sign of their willingness to do so.

What do you see in the post-war future for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church?

Our future will be happy but mournful. We will rejoice in our victory but we will also mourn for the humans lives that have been lost.

And after the victory, we, as a Church, as the largest religious community in Ukraine, supported by more than half of our people, will have a special mission; the one of restoration. It will be about the restoration of internal, social unity, spiritual rehabilitation of those who suffered from the consequences of the war, rehabilitation of the soldiers who will return from the front. There will be a lot of work to do for many years to come. It is going to be really difficult. But the main thing now is to contribute to the victory over the aggressor and to hasten this victory.

In his interview, which we present in two parts, the Metropolitan of Kyiv speaks openly and analytically about how he and the Church experience war, talks about the instrumentalization of Orthodoxy by the Russians even in Greece, addresses Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, speaks about the decision of the government of Ukraine regarding the status of the Monastery Lavra of Kyiv but also about the process according to which parishes will be transferred under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

He reveals whether and how a union of his Church with the Russian Church in Ukraine under Metropolitan Onufriy would be possible.

Read the first part of the interview given by Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine to Orthodox Times and Kostas Onisenko.

Your Beatitude, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by Orthodox Times. Orthodoxy was extensively instrumentalized by the Russians both within Ukraine and in other countries. Can you explain to the Greeks why Russian “penetration” through the Church can be dangerous for Greece as well?

First of all, I would like to thank you for your publication on its work aimed at objectively covering the life of the Orthodox Church for both the Greek-speaking and the English-speaking audience. And this work is very important.

Because we clearly see that the Russian forces and other forces, that are in solidarity with them in various countries and religious communities (not only among the Orthodox, but mainly in the Orthodox world), use lies and propaganda as a weapon of hybrid warfare. This goes for both the current Russian war against Ukraine and the war against the truth in general. We know that in Greece, for example, there is a whole network of websites that systematically support Russian narratives (and obviously they do so not only because they love Moscow but also because this propaganda is always generously paid for by Moscow funds).

Therefore, it is very important that both the Greek-speaking and the English-speaking audience know the truth about what is happening in the Orthodox world in general and in Ukraine in particular. Your publication puts across true information and I wish you, and your colleagues, success in this endeavor.

As for your question; what is the Church all about? It is all about the soul. When one comes to the Church, they give up their soul. They entrust themselves to the priest and show confidence in him. Moscow takes advantage of the fact that, through ecclesiastical preaching and influence on hierarchs and on Christians, especially those who play an important role in social, economic or political life, its maneuvers favor its neo-imperialist plans. It also deftly manipulates various conflicts, intensifying them and preventing their resolution. (Moscow) wants everyone else to be weak and to be forced to ask for protection and help.

For example, does Moscow want Greece to be a strong state? Does Moscow want to have stable and long-term predictable relations with all its neighbors? If Moscow wanted to, then it would have acted very differently. But its actions show that it incites conflicts, both internal and external, including within the Church.

It is no coincidence that the government expelled a number of Russian diplomats from Greece who were accused of trying to bribe hierarchs and other important clerics. Why would they be bribed? To make them serve the interests of Greece? There is no need for bribery for this! The reason was to serve Russia’s interests, even when those interests are contrary to Greece’s – that is why bribery exists.

We can clearly see how this system worked in Ukraine. And we see the result; the Russian invasion and the ideological preparation the Kremlin made through the Russian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to carry out the invasion. We see Moscow’s aggression in Africa against the Patriarchate of Alexandria. We see the attempts to create division within the Church of Cyprus. These and many other examples show that Russia exerts influence on the church word to the detriment of the Orthodox Church and with the aim of serving the interests of the Kremlin and its bloody neo-imperialist plan.

There is also a very important point about the Greek reality. In Ukraine, we have seen how various slanders and lies about the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have spread over the years through certain media and certain individuals. One of the most recent examples is an article that falsely and unjustifiably claimed that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine allegedly violated the Tomos and the Charter, rejected the canonical rights of the Ecumenical Patriarch, which belong only to him.

These and similar publications aim to create a constant tension and suspicion against the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The reason why is to promote Moscow’s view that the Tomos is not real, that autocephaly is wrong, and that everything must be decided anew with the participation of Moscow this time.

The facts show that, among all Churches that have appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in recent decades in order to resolve complex Canonical matters, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been the most consistent in fulfilling its obligations. It has never exceeded what is stipulated in the Tomos, the Charter and the rights of an autocephalous Church. However, despite these facts, Moscow associates constantly arouse suspicion – acting like the devil, which sowed doubts in people about God’s words in order to grab them and lead them to sin.

Yes, indeed, we have adopted a new administrative provision dealing with internal matters of Church life – those that are either not reflected at all in the Charter or are reflected very succinctly. These are issues of dioceses, parishes, monasteries, educational institutions and synodical organs. The Tomos explicitly states that the Primate and the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine resolve all these issues on their own – this is what is called the autocephaly of the Local Church. But we have not changed anything – not a word, not a letter – in the Charter of the Church, and we are not going to change anything.

Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to address your readers: Whenever you are dealing with media reports that are known to be linked to Moscow, treat them as if they were statements of the devil.

In a previous interview you said that you were among those people whom the Russians want to assassinate. Do you think this is still the case?

Has anything changed in Moscow’s attitude towards the Orthodox Church of Ukraine or its Primate? They understand very well that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine strengthens the spirit of our people in the fight against the aggressor and at the same time supports our soldiers and our state. Therefore, the Kremlin sees our Church as a hostile organization. And we know very well how the Kremlin treats its enemies.

Given the calamities brought to Ukraine by the Russian invasion and the Russian Church’s involvement in the invasion, what would you say to Patriarch Kirill if you had the opportunity to meet him personally?

I would say that God exists and that soon he, Gundyaev, will give an answer to Him because he is an old man and the end of his earthly life is near.

I would say that we should fear God not Putin. Because God is eternal while Putin will die, as all tyrants and murderers have died. I would say that he, as patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, bears a special responsibility – he has in his hands the blood of tens of thousands of Ukrainians whom he blessed to be killed. This blood will not be washed away with water but with tears of sincere public repentance, if he still believes in God and is able to repent.

To what extent is the Orthodox Church of Ukraine satisfied with the decision on the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves? In Greece some have spoken of “persecution of the Russian Church in Ukraine.” What is your opinion on these matters?

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is an important component of the spiritual identity of the Ukrainian people. With the support of pro-Russian former politicians, the Moscow Patriarchate usurped the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and turned it into a place from which the ideology of the “Russian world” has been spreading. The head of the Monastery from the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Pavel, has become the most scandalous hierarch in Ukraine during the three decades of his administration, blatantly ignoring public opinion. He is known for his love for luxurious lifestyle and especially for Mercedes cars, the media even began to call him “Pavel- Mercedes”.

Should the Church, society and the state tolerate all of this? Can you imagine a situation where a foreign state – with which Greece is at war – controls the monasteries of Athos and in these monasteries they preach that there is no Greek nation, that the Greek language does not have God’s blessing and that it is a sin to serve in the Greek language? Would such a situation be tolerated? I do not think so. But we, in Ukraine, have been patient for a long time. However, this patience has come to an end. Due to violations of the terms of the lease, the state, as the owner of the entire Lavra complex, decided to terminate the agreement with the Moscow Patriarchate. And now, under the ownership regime, the Moscow Patriarchate has no right to use the Lavra complex.

We, as a Church, created a legal entity for our Monastery last May. It is indeed registered. And the Monastery has been regularly celebrating Liturgies in the main temples of the Lavra, the Cathedral and the altar, since January. Archimandrite Avraamiy, from the brotherhood of the Monastery of the Moscow Patriarchate, decided to unite with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and, he was, therefore, appointed by me abbot of the Lavra Monastery which is considered part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. We also keep regular contact with other Lavra monks awaiting the final decisions of the state regarding the Lavra buildings. They want to remain in the Lavra Monastery as a part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and we are ready to receive them. We will renew the Lavra Monastery, put an end to the ideology of the “Russian world” and bring back the ancient monastic traditions together.

The process is underway and we are in favor of a peaceful solution. But it is important for the Church, the state and society that the enemy does not use pilgrimage as a way to spread their ideology according to which our extermination is justified. Anyone who wants to pray to God and live as a monk in the Lavra Monastery can do so. However, anyone who wants to pray and serve the “Russian world” must leave.

We see priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at the forefront of the battle. How does the Orthodox Church of Ukraine contribute to Ukraine’s victory over Russia?

Firstly, we pray for the victory of truth and peace for Ukraine and we call on all those who believe in God to pray for the same things too. Because victory depends on God – We thank Him for helping us resist the enemy, who is much bigger and stronger than we are. We believe that God will help us achieve complete victory.

Secondly, we testify the truth to our people and to the whole world. The truth is that Ukraine is the victim of unjust aggression. And, as a victim, we need support and protection. Because if Putin had succeeded in Ukraine, as he had hoped, he would have begun a war in Europe too. Russia would attack the Baltic States or Poland. He can only be stopped by force. Therefore, if Europe and the world want to live in peace, this peace must be protected in Ukraine now.

Thirdly, we collect and distribute humanitarian aid for the victims and work with those who donate and encourage others to donate to charity.

Fourth, we send priests to our defense forces to provide spiritual support to our defenders.

Fifth, we are fighting against the ideology of the “Russian world” which is the cause of the war and a way to justify aggression. Just like the ideology of Nazism caused the Second World War, the ideology of the Russian world is the cause of the present war and must, therefore, become widely known and condemned.