Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church promises to hold Easter services at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Metropolitan Epifany of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church announced that he will conduct Orthodox Easter services in the Uspensky church at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. He said the exact timing of the services is yet to be determined, but that they will probably will be held during the morning on April 16, rather than Easter night, because of Kyiv’s current curfew.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church still occupies the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and has refused to leave, despite the fact that the Ukrainian authorities terminated its lease agreement in March.
“We are not for evicting monks from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. We are for the spirit of the ‘Russian world’ not dominating here. For the Lavra to be Ukrainian, for it to always carry a prayer in Ukrainian for our Ukraine,” said Epifany.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has not commented on Epifany’s remarks, though on April 9, Palm Sunday, head of the church Metropolitan Onufry led a celebratory service on a square at the Lavra.
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