Metr. Tikhon Expresses Support for Metr. Onuphry After Damage to Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Metr. Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has sent a letter of support to Metr. Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) following a recent attack on the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, expressing sorrow over the damage and danger faced by the historic monastery.

In the letter, Metr. Tikhon conveyed the prayers and support of the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the OCA, describing the Lavra as “one of the great spiritual treasures of the Orthodox world,” sanctified by the prayers and witness of countless saints.

“Any act of violence directed against such a holy place is a cause of grief and indignation for Orthodox Christians everywhere,” Metr. Tikhon wrote.

The OCA primate said that the Church in America continues to pray for peace amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and condemned attacks that have caused suffering among civilians and endangered sacred sites.

“We condemn the continued military attacks of the Russian Federation upon the sovereign territory of Ukraine, which have brought immeasurable suffering to countless innocent people and have now further endangered and damaged the sacred Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra itself,” he stated.

Metr. Tikhon also assured Metr. Onuphry that he and the faithful of the OCA remain united with him in prayer as he leads the UOC through a period of profound hardship.

“Be assured that you are not forgotten in our prayers,” Metr. Tikhon wrote, asking that the saints whose relics rest in the caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra intercede for the suffering people of Ukraine.

He concluded his message by praying for the restoration of peace and for “the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all.”

Previously, the UOJ reported that the Romanian Patriarchate issued a statement on the damage to the Lavra.