UOC Chancellor comments on reserve's actions with relics of Venerable Fathers
The bishop emphasized that people far from the Church are not truly capable of preserving spiritual heritage.
On August 26, 2025, the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Antony (Pakanych), made a statement regarding the actions of the employees of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve, who were disrespectfully tampering with the relics of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves. His words are cited by Orthodox Life.
According to the Metropolitan, these scenes struck the faithful to the core and caused great indignation. “It seems that only those who have not a drop of faith left could remain indifferent in this situation,” the bishop noted. He recalled that such treatment of relics involuntarily brings to mind the actions of the godless authorities nearly a century ago, when the Bolsheviks opened relics and persecuted the Church.
Metropolitan Antony emphasized that despite the fact that modern society officially condemns the communist past, some steps of the current authorities and administrators actually reproduce the sacrileges of the past. "Any struggle against the Church is demonic. And do demons care under what flag the sacrileges inspired by them are committed?" the archbishop said.
The bishop noted that the main reason for the disrespectful attitude towards Orthodox shrines lies in the fact that those who manage the processes in the Lavra are far from church life. "No museum worker, even the most well-intentioned, can truly preserve the spiritual heritage if they themselves are not church people," the Metropolitan emphasized. He added that shrines are not just cultural values but the living spiritual foundation of the Church, and without prayer and faith, they turn into just a "dead shell".
In his address, Metropolitan Antony reminded that Sts. Antony and Theodosy, the founders of the Caves Lavra, built the monastery as a place of prayer and salvation, not a museum or an abstract cultural center. It was prayer that made the Lavra a spiritual and cultural center, not the other way around.
"Today we observe the reverse process, where shrines are being turned into museum exhibits. But without spirituality and faith, it is impossible to show proper reverence for them. That is why we see a careless attitude towards Orthodox shrines," the Metropolitan noted.
The bishop emphasized that what is happening is not only a test for the faithful but also a spiritual sign: "The Venerable Kyiv Caves saints today share the disgrace with all the children of the Church who are experiencing persecution and pressure."
In conclusion, Metropolitan Antony urged the faithful not to succumb to anger and not to repay evil with evil. "We should not please the evil one. We can only be horrified at the fate of the blasphemers if they do not repent. But we know from the history of the Church how those who mocked the shrines ended," he said.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in the Lavra, reserve staff tampered with the relics of the Venerable Fathers.
