The ROC cleric Andrei Kuraev, banned from ministry, expressed bewilderment about what and in what format the participants of the congress of Ukrainian Orthodox monasticism could discuss in Ukrainian Pochayiv. Kuraev spoke about this on his Facebook page.

“One day – July 15th. 300 participants. This means that there was no work, nothing serious could be discussed without the creation of sections and working commissions. No materials and templates were sent in advance. Window dressing. Vanity Fair.

In fact, this is a purely political action: “The congress of monasticism of the canonical Ukrainian Church is called upon to solve a number of topical issues facing these monasteries. And, among other things, to develop a conciliar attitude to the problem of anti-church persecution.” Well, yes, you can see from their faces and golden crosses how hard they suffer and how cruelly they are persecuted.”

Obviously, Kuraev did not like the topics discussed by the participants: “Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl made a report on the topic:” The role and significance of monasticism in the salvation of the human soul.” Abbess Seraphima (Shevchyk), abbess of the Archangel-Mikhailovsky women’s monastery (Odessa), made a speech on the topic: “Monasticism is the stronghold of canonical Orthodoxy.” Bishop Sylvester of Bilogorodka, rector of Kyiv theological schools, spoke about “The situation in world Orthodoxy as a result of the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine and the possible contribution of the monasticism of the UOC for its solution.” Yes, the abbots did not know all this things!”