Court Hearing on Expulsion of Monks from Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Postponed Again

Photo: National Reserve of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

KYIV, UKRAINE — A court hearing concerning the expulsion of monks from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was postponed on December 18 after the presiding judge unexpectedly went on sick leave shortly before the session was due to begin. The case was scheduled to be heard by the Northern Court of Appeal, which is reviewing a lawsuit filed by Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture.

The postponement was confirmed by Svitlana Kotliarevska, director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Preserve, who said she was informed of the judge’s illness about an hour before the hearing. She emphasized that the case is of exceptional importance, describing the Lavra as a national site that “belongs to the Ukrainian people.”

Kotliarevska did not explain why monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, many of whom are Ukrainian citizens, are deemed unable to reside and worship at the monastery.

The hearing has been rescheduled for an unspecified date. Previous court proceedings related to the Kyiv Metropolis have also been delayed indefinitely.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Met. Timotheos of Vostra had denounced the desecration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. 

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