The head of the Russian Orthodox Church appealed to religious leaders to protect Metropolitan Pavel from lawless persecution

On July 15, 2023, Patriarch Kirill addressed the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Pope Francis, Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, Archbishop Justin Welby, Head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Gerry Pillay, Secretary General of the World Council of Churches, Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres, Secretary General of the OSCE Helga Maria Schmid, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic-Buric, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci in connection with the arrest of Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod. About it reports the website of the Patriarchate.

“On July 14, 2023, based on the decision of the Solomensky District Court of Kyiv, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, the Hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Vicar of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, who was previously under 24-hour house arrest, was taken into custody and placed in prison. The court decision was taken in the context of the ongoing attempts of the Ukrainian authorities to forcibly and lawlessly remove the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra from the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the Patriarch noted.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church added that this court decision, “unjust and obviously dictated by the Ukrainian authorities, is aimed at intimidating believers, forcing them to abandon the defense of their religious freedom and sanctuaries, and is part of the large-scale persecution launched by the Ukrainian authorities against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”.

“I note with great concern that the change in the measure of restraint for Metropolitan Pavel, a man in his old age, from house arrest to placing him in custody threatens him with a serious deterioration of his health and may lead to his death in the detention center,” Patriarch Kirill emphasized.

He called for attention to the ongoing persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and “to take all possible measures to protect Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl from the lawless persecution”.