Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebid) of the UOC in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate equated his church with God and declared that there is an ongoing “persecution” of the Church, like at Christmas times.
“…People, temporarily enjoying their authority, expel from the Lavra the Mother of God, who gave money to Greek architects for the construction of the Dormition Church,” said the infamous hierarch. The relevant video was uploaded on the UOC MP YouTube channel.
The metropolitan said that on December 31, “security and police operatives” came to him, claiming he had been inciting people to riot.
“I have never done this and I will never do because I remember that a bad citizen of a country will never be a citizen of heaven,” Metropolitan Pavlo said. He urged believers to read psalms that curse enemies. “Leave a line in remembrance for the persecutors of the Church of Christ,” Metropolitan Pavlo told followers of the UOC MP.
He then equated the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate with God. At the same time, Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebid) did not comment on the hundreds of pieces of physical evidence testifying to UOC (MP) clerics’ cooperation with the aggressor, discovered during raids of the churches. He threatens death upon all those who cleanse the UOC (MP) of collaborators.
“They cannot defeat Christ. Herod also wanted to defeat Christ, and killed 14,000 babies, but fell dead and was eaten by worms. The same thing happened with the Roman Empire, with the Russian Empire and other empires, while the Church stands,” the metropolitan of said.
“I remain a son of my Church, a son of my country. We are being driven from the Upper Lavra. They don’t let us take our icons, an inspection has been set up. It reminds me of Christmas times. We are passing the inventory. The chief of the museum said that we should give everything away according to the inventory. But who compiled the inventory when we were bringing this all there? The throne, the iconostasis, the Tsar’s Gate, the paintings… We will give it to the state and we will give it according to the inventory… But let them remember that when the time comes, we will hold them accountable. Therefore, stop, you wannabe believers, stop shedding people’s tears on Christmas days,” laments the hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Pavlo believes that the UOC-MP will still return to the Lavra and traditionally threatens the authorities with curses.
“I believe that we will be back. But what will happen to those persecutors of the Church who bring upon themselves and their children the seventh generation of God’s curse?” Pavlo concluded.
Earlier, Metropolitan Pavlo confirmed that the UOC (MP) was denied access to the temples of the Upper Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Despite the Moscow Patriarch’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, Metropolitan Pavlo during a trip to Israel prayed alongside the priests of the Moscow Patriarchate.
In addition, media reports said a few months ago that Metropolitan Pavlo visited Turkey, where he met with representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate. From them he was to receive new instructions for organizing opposition to the development of the Local Autocephalous Church in Ukraine. Metropolitan Pavlo performed the task set by Metropolitan Antoniy (Pakanych), the leader of the pro-Russian wing of the UOC MP.
