Serbian and Ukrainian hierarchs concelebrate Pentecost at Pochaev Lavra (+VIDEO)

Pochaev, Ternopil Province, June 5, 2023

Photo: Screen shot, First Cossack Photo: Screen shot, First Cossack     

On Sunday, June 4, the great feast of Pentecost, a hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church visited the Holy Dormition-Pochaev Lavra in western Ukraine and concelebrated the festal Divine Liturgy.

Video showing His Grace Bishop Stefan of Remesiana, vicar of the Belgrade Diocese, concelebrating with the Lavra abbot, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Pochaev, and reading the Holy Gospel was published by the outlet First Cossack on Telegram.

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“Bishop Stefan of Remesiana has arrived to support the UOC. Together with the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Vladimir, and hundreds of Orthodox Ukrainians, he prayed in the majestic Holy Transfiguration Cathedral on the eve of the feast of Pentecost,” the channel writes.

Though the state’s attack on the canonical UOC has been largely focused on the Kiev Caves Lavra in recent months, the Pochaev Lavra has also been a target for several years now. In recent months, Parliamentary deputies have submitted bills to seize the monastery from the Church, pilgrims have been prevented from reaching the holy site, and the schismatics have created their own “Pochaev Lavra” on paper—the first step in their plans to take over the monastery.

Bp. Stefan also visited Ukraine in July 2021 for the 1,033rd anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’. He encouraged the Ukrainian faithful in the midst of their suffering at the hands of the schismatics and secular authorities (which has only intensified since then): ““God is with us! He is and ever shall be! When trials come, it means that God is with us, that God loves us.”

In an interview at the time, he said the Serbian Church is aware of the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” but “we don’t pay attention to it, because it’s not a Church for us, simply not a Church.”

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6/5/2023

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On Tuesday, May 2, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Pochaev, the abbot of the Holy Dormition-Pochaev Lavra, addressed the head of the Ternopil Provincial Council Mikhail Golovko, who earlier declared that the Church has supposedly violated its usage agreement at the state-owned Lavra. Tree planted by St. Job of Pochaev suddenly uprooted Tree planted by St. Job of Pochaev suddenly uprooted Tree planted by St. Job of Pochaev suddenly uprooted Tree planted by St. Job of Pochaev suddenly uprooted
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Having expelled the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the churches upper section of the state-owned Kiev Caves Lavra, the authorities are now moving ahead with plans to kick the Church and its Ukrainian faithful out of the Pochaev Lavra as well. Ternopil Province initiates legal check of Pochaev Lavra, will appeal to transfer it to schismatics Ternopil Province initiates legal check of Pochaev Lavra, will appeal to transfer it to schismatics Ternopil Province initiates legal check of Pochaev Lavra, will appeal to transfer it to schismatics Ternopil Province initiates legal check of Pochaev Lavra, will appeal to transfer it to schismatics
Like the Lavra in Kiev, the Pochaev Lavra has remained in state hands as a holdover from the Soviet Union, with use of the ancient monastery being leased to the canonical Church for the past 30 years.

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