Political expert: A case on transfer of Pochaev Lavra aims to pressure UOC

Pochaev Lavra

The police opened a criminal case on the transfer of the UOC of the Pochaev Lavra to pressure the hierarchs. This was reported in a comment by GolosUA on November 16 by the political expert, director of the Ukrainian Institute for Analysis and Policy Management Ruslan Bortnik.

According to him, this artificial criminal case was opened for several purposes.

“In particular, to have leverage over hierarchs, especially those of the Pochaev Lavra because of the frustrated meeting of President Poroshenko with the hierarchs,” Bortnik said. “The second goal is to justify, therefore, an informational attack on the Pochaev Lavra, since an information and legal crackdown is being prepared against the shrine.”

The politologist also noted that Ukraine is following the scenario of intensified escalation of the church conflict and increased confrontation.

Earlier, the police of Ternopol region opened a criminal case on the fact of the transfer of the structures of the Pochaev Holy Dormition Monastery for use or lease to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In 2016, the Ternopol Regional Council addressed the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, demanding that the Pochaev Lavra be expropriated from the UOC and returned the status of state reserve.

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