OCU establishes "Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra" structure and aims to get one church

On May 23, 2022, the “synod” of the OCU under the leadership of Epifaniy Dumenko announced the creation of a religious organization with the name “Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (monastery) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine)”, due to which they want to receive and use one of the churches of the Upper part of the shrine, according to the pomisna.info website.

The OCU statement says that the “synod” requests Dumenko to file a petition with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a view to receiving a temple in the Kyiv Lavra “to perform divine services and conduct monastic activities of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the UOC (OCU).”

The schismatics also stated that the Lavra is subordinate to the UOC “non-canonically”, hence they create their own religious organization with the name “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” being directly subordinated to Dumenko.

Recall that the Upper part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is open to visitors from May 4.

As the UOJ reported, the Rada published the text of a bill to ban the UOC, which provides for the nationalization of the Lavra, churches and other property of the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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