The parishioners inside the walls of the Lavra sang a song in which they could hear “The bell floats, floats over Russia … Mother Rus’ is awakening.”
A scandal erupted around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. A video spread on the network, in which, during a service within the walls of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a song for Russia takes place. This record, against the backdrop of a large-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, seriously excites our citizens. However, the opinions of social media users were divided: some were outraged by what they saw, while others did not believe that the video was not a fake.
Criminal case
The authenticity of the video is also of interest to the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine. It should be noted that during the recording, parishioners of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra read a prayer for Russia. During the singing, “The bell floats, floats over Russia … Mother Rus’ is awakening” can be heard.
“Those who, in the conditions of a large-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, are waiting for the “awakening of Mother Rus” should understand that this harms the security and interests of Ukraine and our citizens. And we will not allow such demonstrations,” said SBU head Vasily Baby.
Later it became known that the SBU opened criminal proceedings to glorify the “Russian world” in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The investigation is being conducted under Part 1 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – justification, recognition of legality, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants. All materials are sent for appropriate analysis.
The reaction of the Ministry of Culture
Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko said that law enforcement officials are establishing the authenticity of a video from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in which clergy allegedly glorify Russia during worship . According to Tkachenko, further actions and consequences depend on it.
“If the video is authentic, we call for immediate legal proceedings against the leaders of the UOC,” he stressed.
Do they pray for everyone in the Lavra?
In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, they decided to shed light on what was happening two days later. According to the clergy, the hymn with the mention of Russia sounded after a private service – a prayer service. The only priest who performed this process was in the hall and engaged in anointing and fellowshipping with the people. And at that moment a group of some “activists” started singing a song, which was caught on video. The Lavra noticed that the priest did not hear what these people were singing.
“After the prayer service, people receive an anointing from the priest with consecrated oil from the icon. Since there are many people, a group of activists sings different spiritual hymns during the attachment to icon,” said Polycarp, a representative of the UOC-MP, adding that the incident occurred during a prayer to the icon of the Queen’s Mother of God.
The vicar of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Metropolitan Pavel also commented on the video. He admitted that at one of the prayer services the parishioners sang a song about Russia. According to him, the song is not “a liturgical hymn – it is secular.”
The Metropolitan assures us that in the Lavra they pray for God, for our state, for our army and the president.
“This is not a liturgical hymn. Some priests wrote that supposedly during the war, divine services will be held for Russia. We pray for the peace of the whole world. We pray for all Orthodox people. .” Metropolitan Pavel said.
The Lavra added that Father Zacharias, who allows hymns, is forbidden to serve in the liturgy. Soon they will hold a spiritual council, where they will decide the punishment for him.
Scandalous patriarchy
After February 24, scandals involving UOC priests of the Moscow Patriarchate became more frequent in Ukraine. One of the clergy did not allow the body of the Ukrainian soldier to be brought to the church for a funeral. The ceremony was held in the street, behind closed doors.
Another cleric of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Rivne region admitted in court that he was behind the wheel after drinking 200 grams of Cahors. Note that the criminal case is closed. The text of the court’s decision says that law enforcement officers have no video evidence that the priest was driving, despite the fact that there was no one else in the car.
In the summer in Ukraine, they also discussed the procession of many thousands of parishioners of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to the Pochaev Lavra in the Ternopil region. The participants of the walk were seen with the colors of the Russian flag. And the procession itself took place despite the fact that, according to the law, mass events are prohibited during wartime.
In early October, the rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel, was detained at one of the border checkpoints. Then the media reported the detention of a cleric while trying to take expensive icons abroad. Paul himself denied this information. According to him, the documents were checked at the border for six hours, but there were no complaints.
Also in October, SBU officers searched the residence of the Metropolitan of Tulchinsky and Bratslav UOC-MP Jonathan. A priest from the Vinnitsa region is suspected of inciting hatred on religious, ethnic or other grounds. If the man is found guilty, he faces up to three years in prison.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.