Patriarch Filaret: Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra will become the property of a single local Orthodox church in Ukraine

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Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Patriarch of Kyiv and All-Ukraine Filaret stated that the Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra would become the property of a single local Orthodox church in Ukraine after the provision of Tomos about autocephaly to Ukrainian Orthodox churches.

As reported on the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, about this Patriarch Filaret said in an interview with TV channel Pryamyi.

Patriarch Filaret expressed conviction that the decision of the Holy Synod and Ecumenical Patriarch to grant the Ukrainian church of Tomos «will hit hard» on the positions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine. Also Filaret stressed that a single local autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine will be independent.

In addition, he said, the Moscow Patriarchate has no property in Ukraine.

«Take, for example, Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra, Pochaev Lavra – whose property is it? Property of Ukrainian state. And the state transferred its property to the use of the Ukrainian Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. But when the Ukrainian church is recognized here, the Lavra, both one and the other, will be transferred to the Ukrainian church. Because it is Ukrainian shrine. Both Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate have nothing to do with these shrines. And those parishes that built, and their temples at their own expense – it is the property of these parishes, and not of Russia. Therefore, Russia has no church property here», Patriarch Filaret emphasized.

According to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, after the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Synod of the Church of Constantinople to provide the Orthodox Church in Ukraine with Tomos about autocephaly, the overwhelming majority of the bishops, clergy and parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate will join the process of creating a local autocephalous Orthodox Ukrainian church.

Filaret also noted that in order to provide the Ukrainian Church of Tomos, the Ecumenical Patriarch created a commission of three metropolitans who are now visiting all the Orthodox churches and informing them of the intention of the Ecumenical Patriarch. In addition, the Synod will be convened no earlier than the end of August.

As The Journalist reported Patriarch Filaret stated that the Ukrainian people have united, and Russia will not be able to defeat them.