Abbot of Renowned Pochaev Lavra Press-ganged into Military Service

KYIV—Archimandrite Paphnutiy, abbot of the renowned Pochaev Holy Spirit Monastery-Skete, has been forcibly detained by the Territorial Center of Recruitment (TCR).

Fr. Paphnutiy has been the abbot of Pochaev's Holy Spirit Skete for almost thirty years, having been elected abbot in 1997.

The TCR is the division of Ukraine’s military responsible for “mobilizing” civilians—i.e., pressing them into military service.

Last week, the Ukrainian government published a list of 7,726 "important religious organizations," which are exempt from frontline service, being considered "critically important for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the livelihood of the population." The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious body in Ukraine, was not on the list. This means that UOC clergy may be drafted into military service.

Responding to this news, Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol wrote on Telegram: “This step can be considered discriminatory and politically motivated. It violates the rights of believers and creates unequal conditions for clergy of different denominations.”

Metropolitan Luke accused the Ukrainian government of using this new law to punish the UOC, which it wrongly accuses of being pro-Russian:

We categorically reject the idea of “punishing” clergymen through mobilization to the front. The Church is not a state institution. A priest is not a politician but a shepherd of human souls, called to care for the spiritual condition of people rather than participate in armed conflict. Forcing clergy into military service against their will and beliefs is a gross violation of human rights and the spiritual mission of the Church.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church asks for prayers that Fr. Paphnutius be returned safely.

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