The Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and society and the media of the Moscow Patriarchate, Vladimir Legoida called attempts to revise the legal status of the Pochaev Lavra pressure to the canonical Church of Ukraine.
“For many years, the legal grounds of possession of the Pochaev Lavra did not cause any issues as the Ukrainian authorities and the society”, — said the representative of the Church.
“The Pochayiv Lavra is a Holy place of world Orthodoxy, attacks on her by the authorities, the term of which expires in a few months, completely lawless and politically motivated”, — said V. Legoida.
“The purpose of these measures is nothing overt discrimination of believers in Ukraine, attempts to force their religious choice in favor of a quasi-religious structure,” he added.
“We believe that anti-religious persecutions, and intimidation of the believers in Ukraine will receive a proper assessment and will be stopped by force of law and world public opinion”, — said V. Legoida.