Patriarch Filaret: Lavras to move from UOC-MP to Local Church only on a voluntary basis

On October 26, Patriarch Filaret, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate, said at a press conference in Kyiv that the Ukrainian Lavras (monasteries) can be transferred from the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate to the One Local Church only on a voluntary basis, reports Religion in Ukraine citing Gordonua.com and Ukrinform.

According to Filaret, the decision to transfer the Lavras can only be made by their clergymen. At the same time, he stressed that the monasteries in the territory of Ukraine are Ukrainian shrines.

“Their transfer to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church can only be voluntary ... I believe that sooner or later the Lavras will be transferred to the Ukrainian church without any violence. How long will it take? I do not know ... Time will come when they will be willing to move to the Ukrainian church and will do it voluntarily, without any violence, and now we will be patient,” said the patriarch of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate.

There are three Lavras in Ukraine: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Pochayiv Lavra in Ternopil Oblast, and Svyatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk Oblast. All of them are currently under the jurisdiction of the UOC (Moscow Patriarchate).

The Local Church should retain the words “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” and "Kyivan Patriarchate" in its name. “Its name will be the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as an official name, the second name will be the Kyiv Patriarchate,” Filaret said.