Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed) recorded a video message in which he commented on the actions of the authorities regarding the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

“Daniel the prophet said that there would be an abomination of desolation in the holy place. It seems to me that the phenomenon of the Apocalypse began precisely with the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, although Jerusalem had already experienced this once,” the bishop said.

Metropolitan Pavel said that police officers are constantly in the monastery.

“We have received notice that the commission will make an inventory of what was handed over to the Church. But in 1994, when I was appointed governor, there was only one church in the Lavra – the Exaltation of the Cross, which was in a dilapidated state. Today all the churches have been restored, they have iconostases and icons. There is splendor and beauty here. The Dormition Cathedral and the church in honor of St. Anthony and Theodosius, which we call the Refectory, have also been restored. We were given two weeks to move out of the monastery. We will not be able to do this under any pretext, because for 35 years the brethren have done everything to improve the life of the monastery and pilgrims, and we simply do not have a place where to take it all out, and we do not intend to leave anything,” the hierarch noted.

The bishop recalled that recently all the members of the Holy Synod, headed by the Primate, became convinced of how the authorities treat them, when for several hours the elderly bishops, the eldest of whom, Metropolitan Agafangel, turned 84 years old, stood at the walls of the Office of the President, and were not honored with a meeting.

The bishop also spoke about the inspection of the Warm Temple, which took place on March 22.

“We didn’t take out the walls. Instead of the paints with which the walls were painted, we made a painting. We made icon cases. Other egregious violations, I think, will not be found there,” the governor said.

Metropolitan Pavel noted that he did not know whether “we will be extended the time to celebrate Easter in the Lavra, but I call on you all: come to the monastery!”

“Even if we are driven out of the monastery, no one will take her from our hearts. But if we leave by force, which we do not want, this holy place will face the abomination of desolation – this can already be seen from the state of the Upper Lavra’s premises,” the hierarch added.

The bishop urged the faithful to come to the Lavra daily for prayer, while there is still such an opportunity.