Pochaev Lavra publishes a statement on the Pan-Orthodox Council

Brethren of the Pochaev Lavra and St. Dukhovskoi monastery-hermitage published an appeal in connection with the upcoming Pan-Orthodox Council, which will take place from 16 to 27 June 2016 in Crete (Greece), reports the site of the Pochaev Lavra.

The monastics of the Pochaev Lavra say that they share concerns of their fellow monks, bishops, priests, God-loving laity who care about their salvation and about the fate of the Church of Christ.

According to the brethren, most questions and comments arise on the draft document entitled "The relationship of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian world." The monastics report that they are in full solidarity and agree with the opinion of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Synod of Bishops of the ROC, the Holy Kinot of Mount Athos, Kamenetz-Podolsky diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol (the Cyprus Orthodox Church).

The brethren emphasizes the importance of judgments of Bishop Benjamin, Metropolitan of Vladivostok and Primorye, expressed in a letter to participants of the conference "Pan-Orthodox Council: Opinions and Expectations', which took place on April 19, 2016, at St. Tikhon Orthodox University.

"From myself I want to reassure the parishioners and pilgrims of our monastery, that, trusting in the mercy of God, the cover and intercession of the Queen of Heaven, brothers-monks of Pochaev Mount will continue to do everything possible to ensure that in the churches of the monastery the faithful receive the grace of God in the sacraments of the Holy Orthodox Church. Divine Truth is perfect and unchangeable. And the Saviour of the world entrusted us to keep and preach it, but not "finalize". We call upon the God-loving people to raise their diligent prayers to the All-Merciful Lord to continue strengthening all of us in the purity of the Orthodox faith, in which can only be eternal salvation," reads the statement.

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