The Pochaiv Lavra was granted additional time to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (GESS) has extended by 60 days the deadline for the Pochaiv Holy Dormition Lavra to comply with the order to sever its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. This was reported by Ukrinform , citing the agency’s head, Viktor Yelensky.

According to the directive received, the Lavra must withdraw from the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which is recognized as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), and the abbot of the Pochaiv Lavra, Metropolitan Vladimir (Moroz) of Pochaiv, is required to withdraw from the Bishops’ Council of the ROC. Representatives of the monastery justified the need for an extension by citing procedural requirements, including the need to convene a spiritual council to make decisions regarding the organization’s charter, as well as the need to translate a number of documents from Russian.

Viktor Yelensky emphasized that upon the expiration of the 60-day period granted, the agency expects all conditions of the order to be fulfilled. Otherwise, if the Lavra fails to confirm the severance of ties, the organization will be officially recognized as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, which is banned in Ukraine, and this will result in the immediate filing of a lawsuit to terminate its activities.

As a reminder, earlier, the head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Klyment (Vecherya), stated that the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (GESS) continues to ignore the UOC’s official statements regarding the severance of ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. The hierarch asserts that the relevant decision was made as early as 2022 at the Council in Feofaniya; however, these decisions did not satisfy the State Service.