Kiev, June 16, 2026
Photo: Kyiv Holy Dormition Caves Lavra
His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod, abbot of the Holy Dormition-Kiev Caves Lavra of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has issued a video statement to the faithful following damage to the monastery during a Russian attack on Kiev.
Speaking from what he describes as a court-ordered period of medical treatment, His Eminence calls on Orthodox Christians worldwide to pray for the Lavra and urges the monastery’s brethren not to lose heart.
In his address, Met. Pavel reflects on his 33 years of service at the Lavra, including his role in rebuilding the Dormition Cathedral, and calls the current situation a persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Speaking from a spiritual point of view, he attributes the strike to the enemy of the human race and called on believers to forgive those who have “lost the image of God.”
Read the Metropolitan’s full statement:
Today, beloved in Christ, dear brothers and sisters, there’s great sorrow for the fullness of the Universal Orthodox Church. When churches are destroyed in any Local Church, the people who think they're the ones doing it are mistaken—it’s the devil doing it—he who has been permitted to trouble Christ, His Church, and the faithful, but only for a time.
For the Kiev Lavra this is a great sorrow, and for me it holds special significance. I know the history of the Kiev Caves Lavra. The construction of the Heavenly church, built by the blessing of the Mother of God together with Greek fathers and Slavs who lived at that time and live to this day at the Kiev Caves Lavra. This church was destroyed and burned many times.
And today, when we speak of spirituality, when we speak of peace and love, entirely different things are being carried out—actions that no right-minded person can make sense of.
In my time, in 1985, standing near the ruins of the Dormition Cathedral, I dreamed of living to see the time when someone wise would build that holy temple on that holy place. Nine years later I was appointed abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra. And in the year 2000, by God’s mercy, with the labors of the brethren and benefactors, and with the blessing of President Leonid Danilovich, that beautiful church was raised up. It was raised up, and the Mother of God returned again to her home.
Photo: uoc-news.church
Today the enemy of the human race has risen up not against us, brothers, but against God—forgetting that “I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” There’ll come an end to these atrocities that exist today in the world community.
Today we’re astonished by these events. Blessed Metropolitan Vladimir once said: “When there are many churches and crosses, there’ll be fewer prisons.” But today we see something entirely different. The brethren are being driven from the Lavra, churches are being closed—as was done with the Life-Giving Spring and other churches. People dance in the churches, shoot all manner of unseemly videos, cook food—instead of prayer, instead of unifying Divine power.
In the end, we see that people who have no relation to the Church walk around in hats, women enter the altar, touch the altar, make all kinds of videos and mockeries of clergy. And unfortunately, those who are there today are likewise engaging in lawlessness together with lawless people.
I’ve received many text messages today. Today, by court order, I’m taking some time to treat my health, as I’m ill, and people are sending me their sympathy. For me this is truly a heavy hour—when you’ve built something, when they insulted you, when they wouldn’t let you build this church, when they laughed at you. And today, when the church stood in beauty, when the Mother of God was the mistress of that church, when there were solemn services, when presidents of the world came, when pilgrims came—and today there’s emptiness, abomination, and desolation.
But we don’t despair at these events. Yes, it was an enemy—a man who did this—a rocket fell, or some other form of military action—but we pray to God. And I appeal to you, dear children of Ukraine, all believers and non-believers throughout the world, because today there’s mourning in Greece, in Georgia, in India, in Russia, across the whole world over this sorrowful event.
But we mustn’t murmur, because the abomination of desolation in the temple is due to those people who wage war against the Church. When the Lord sat on the Mount of Olives and the disciples wanted to show Him the beauty of the buildings, He said that not one stone would be left upon another. I hope that such a terrible, terrifying word of Christ the Savior won’t come upon the Kiev Caves Lavra. But still we appeal to those people who, even slightly, holding these positions, ought to approach with fear and trembling.
But today the Church in Ukraine is a persecuted Church, a hated Church. Why? Because we preserve the unity of the Universal Orthodox Church.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, I call upon all of you to turn in prayer to the Mother of God, because when churches are destroyed, unfortunately, unsteady souls are also destroyed. And the actions of such people lead to falling away from the Church of Christ. And people choose some other easy path, thinking they’re going with them into the Kingdom of Heaven. Nothing of the sort. Only through bearing our cross, only through Golgotha, only through suffering can we be united with Christ. But first of all there must be an image of repentance in us. And in every person to see not a national hero, not some fallen person, but a brother and the image of God, which lives in every person and unites us with God.
Dear fathers and brothers—those dear ones whom I’ve gathered together for 33 years—don’t despair, don’t lose heart. They thought that when they removed me, you’d fall away. Hold firm in the faith. You’re very beautiful children of God. You’re patient. You bear all things with meekness. You don’t raise a murmur or a voice. They drive everyone out of the churches and hand them over to destruction. But perhaps this is our life’s cross. Pray, go nowhere, don’t leave. And forgive those people who have lost the image of God, the image of man.
Upon all of you, dear brothers and sisters, I call down God’s blessing. And may the Lord keep you for the joy of our fatherland, for the joy of our holy Church—because the time will come when we shall leave this earthly tabernacle and pass over to God. And there the decisive answer of God will be: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”—and to others: “Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire and the torment of suffering.”
Therefore, beware the cunning of this world. Keep yourselves in the Church of Christ. Keep yourselves for the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
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