The Rector of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy and Seminary (KOTAS), Bishop Sylvester (Stoychev), published on behalf of the KOTAS press service a commentary regarding what was reported to be a provocation by a student of the UOC in unity with the MP during the service of the OCU in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
The UOC MP noted that on January 19, a student of the Kyiv Theological Seminary did come to the service at the Assumption Cathedral, but on his own initiative, not on the instructions of the leadership, as reported in the media.
“He did not receive any instructions from the leadership of Kyiv theological schools. The fact of his presence at the divine service in the Assumption Cathedral became known to the KOTAS only after the specified incident. In communication with representatives of the KOTAS administration, the student explained that he was detained by representatives of the OCU at the altar of the Assumption Cathedral and handed over to the police, who interviewed him and released him without revealing any signs of criminal actions or intentions,” the statement reads.
From this, the UOC MP concluded that the KOTAS student did not commit any “attempts of provocation,” did not carry out any orders of church leadership, and did not in any way interfere with the service in the Assumption Cathedral.
“All mass media reports about the efforts of representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to disrupt public order on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra during the services of the OCU do not correspond to the truth,” the KOTAS press service concluded.
As reported earlier, during the OCU service in the Lavra, a seminarian of the UOC (MP) was detained while trying to commit an act of provocation. He later said that he intended to obstruct the service in some way, stopping shortly of specifying his plan, according to media reports.
On January 7, there were similar attempts, when intruders tried to add brilliant green to the communion.
