Kiev, July 19, 2023
Updated at 2:25 PM, 7/19/23
Photo: lavra.ua
Ukrainian authorities have blocked both electronic and in-person fundraising to help pay the bail for the persecuted abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra.
After months of round-the-clock house arrest, a judge ordered last week that His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl be placed in pre-trial detention until August 14. Alternatively, he could pay a bail of nearly $900,000 (33 million hryvnia)—much higher than the bail set for murderers and other serious criminals, while the Metropolitan is being falsely accused of inciting religious enmity and supporting the war.
Given the exorbitant bail, the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the brotherhood of the Kiev Caves Lavra began raising funds towards bail for their abbot.
The monastery reported on Monday:
The faithful organized a fundraiser the next day to support the bishop of the UOC. Currently, more than 450,000 UAH ($12,155) have been transferred for these purposes. A collection also began in the Kiev Caves Lavra. In one day, we collected more than 500,000 UAH ($13,505). However, today, July 17, for unknown reasons, the fundraiser organized in the monastery through the online resource ipay.ua was turned off.
“Democracy in all its glory,” commented human rights activist Viktoria Kokhanovska.
Andrei Kovalev, speaker for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, also commented on the matter on Ukrainian television yesterday, rejoicing that the people have been blocked from helping the bishop-abbot.
According to Kovalev, who is also a former speaker for the schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate,” the special services held “preventative conversations” with the fundraiser initiators.
Thus, after a few hours, the collection plates for the Metropolitan were removed from the churches “and this circus has stopped.”
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UPDATE:
Earlier today, the Legal Department of the UOC announced how funds can be sent for Met. Pavel. Donations can only be sent by individuals in person at a bank. All donors must then give the original bank receipt to Met. Pavel’s lawyer, Archpriest Nikita Chekman (which effectively limits donors to people living in Kiev).
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