On March 20, 2023, religious scholar Sergei Chapnin commented on his own Facebook page on the latest events around the UOC.

“The events in the UOC on March 20 leave a depressing impression. First, there was a meeting of the Synod, at which Metropolitan Onuphry did not dare to take the “only important”, albeit extremely belated decision – to remove Metropolitan Pavel from the post of vicar of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It would be right to remove Metropolitan Anthony from the office of the Administrative Department at the same time. Apparently, Metropolitan Pavel himself insisted on this “exchange” before the Synod. Like, if you leave, then the two of you. And this has its own logic: both metropolitans ended up under the sanctions of Zelensky, an analogue of “foreign agents” in Putin’s Russia. However, although Metropolitan Anthony is in a severe depression, he is not going to leave anywhere, ”Chapnin wrote.

The religious scholar suspects that “Metropolitan Onufry himself does not really want to get rid of Pavel. If the expulsion of the Lavra monks really takes place, then Paul, as governor, will be responsible for the further maintenance of 200 brethren.”

“It is surprising that the Synod of the UOC kept silent about the Kyiv Theological Academy. It occupies four buildings in the Lavra. These are more than 250 students and almost 50 teachers and employees permanently residing in the Lavra. How can they be? Where to go? The Synod decided not to think about it and not make decisions,” Chapnin said.

He also added that “the main document born by the Synod is an appeal to President Zelensky. It looks balanced and calm. The problem of observance of rights and freedoms, primarily freedom of religion, is formulated correctly. Many, including Orthodox Greeks, look at the actions of the Ukrainian government with at least bewilderment. However, a bare statement of facts is unlikely to help the UOC. Need action. It is actions, not words, that many, including politicians, now expect from the UOC.”

According to the religious scholar, the decision to go to a meeting with Zelensky right after the Synod meeting “was received with hope: many were waiting for these negotiations. Some bewilderment arose after it turned out that all the members of the synod, including two “foreign agents” Pavel and Anthony, went to meet with Zelensky. It was clear that Zelensky would definitely not meet with them. Even more surprising was the information that members of the synod had been waiting for a meeting on the street in front of the President’s Office for more than an hour. The first doubts that the meeting was at least somehow prepared appeared at that moment.”

Further, says Chapnin, “everything turned into a bad anecdote. Speaker Zelensky made an official statement to the media that he was not going to hold any meeting with the hierarchs of the UOC. The Synodals were received by his assistants. And it turns out that there is no “political process”. Metropolitan Onuphry and his synodals have a naive, and in the current circumstances, I must say more harshly – idiotic, idea of ​​with whom, how and when they can enter into negotiations.

“It is already obvious to everyone that the UOC is in a complete administrative collapse. There is no action plan, no idea of how to build the negotiation process, no timely, at least tactical, operational decisions. Today, the members of the Synod have demonstrated complete, hopeless helplessness,” the religious scholar said.