Pochayiv Lavra
The deputies of the Ternopil regional Council believe that around the monastery artificially escalate the situation and therefore, MVD should establish a round-the-clock protection of the Pochaiv monastery.
Ternopil regional Council appealed to the interior Ministry of Ukraine with a request to provide round the clock protection of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra. This is stated in the official statement adopted at the meeting of Council 6 November 2018 and is available on the website of the institutions.
The deputies expressed confidence that the decision on creation of a Unified Ukrainian Orthodox Church will contribute to the interdenominational and Church-state dialogue in Ukraine and will be an important step to ensure the rights, freedoms and religious needs of citizens.
“At the same time, step from the creation of a Unified Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the individual stakeholders to try to exacerbate the contradictions between the faithful of the Orthodox denominations, have resorted to the artificial whipping up the religious situation, and speculations about the legal ownership of Pochayiv Lavra”, – stated in the text of the document.
Deputies report that additional anxiety was caused by treatment of vicar of the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra Metropolitan Vladimir Moroz, who announced a request to parishioners to prepare for the physical protection of the Shrine.
“Placement on the Internet and spread among citizens inaccurate information about the plans to capture the power of the cult of the object leads to massive artificially created panic, which could eventually be reflected in illegal activities,” – noted the authors.
The members of the regional Council asked the interior Ministry to arrange round the clock security of the Shrine with the help of divisions of National guard of Ukraine “to improve the security of citizens on the territory of the Pochayiv of the United territorial community, and to prevent bloodshed and violent seizure of Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra”.
In addition, the deputies ask the Prosecutor to assess the illegal, in their opinion, the transfer of 6 buildings of the Pochayiv monastery to the UOC.
In 2016, the Ternopil regional Council addressed to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with the requirement to select the Pochaev Lavra, the Church and return it to the status of state reserve.
As reported by ALE, Abbot of the Pochaev monastery, Metropolitan Volodymyr said the threats against the Shrine, asked for prayer support, and urged, if necessary, to protect the monastery.