DISINFO: Schismatics seized the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and expelled the canonical church
SUMMARY
[Ukrainian] schismatics seized the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the main shrine of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The “self-consecrated” schismatics held a “service” in the main temples of the Lavra, and this action was carried out by self-proclaimed structures formed exclusively non-canonically. Therefore, this action has no holiness.
RESPONSE
This is a part of a pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory aimed at portraying Ukraine as a "Satanist" country that bans the Orthodox Church, in line with the recurring disinformation narrative that Ukraine is "Nazi".
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was not seized by Ukraine or the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In fact, it is state property. It is managed by the National Kyiv-Pechersk History and Culture Preserve. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church had only been renting it until 31 December, 2022, when its rental contract expired and a part of the premises was returned to the direct management of the state.
On 7 January, the government of Ukraine gave permission to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to hold a church service in the Uspensky Cathedral, the main church of the Lavra.
The claim that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is non-canonical is false. In January 2019 the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received a Tomos of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which ranks first among the Orthodox Churches. It was also recognised by four Orthodox churches, namely the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Cyprus and Greece.
Read more disinformation cases on the topic: Zelenskyy is trying to eradicate the Orthodox church in Ukraine; Kyiv wants to exchange its Satanists for Orthodox priests; Borrell's remarks on Russian patriarch give Kyiv 'sanction' to persecute canonical church; the West wants to destroy Eastern Christianity through the war in Ukraine.