Archimandrite Kirill Govorun told Radio NV what will happen to the monks of the UOC in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra after March 29.

“I would like to start with something that I do not expect and would not like to expect. I would not like to expect a conflict, first of all, on cameras, because it will be very bad for Ukraine,” said Govorun.

The archimandrite stated that, in his opinion, initially “there was a calculation” that part of the monastic community of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra would decide to stay in it and go to the OCU on this basis.

“That is, a solution was proposed that looked more like an ultimatum: “If you want to stay in the Lavra, then go to the OCU.” I understand that there were initial hesitations, certain groups of monks responded to this proposal. But now, it seems (so far there has been no such decision), the monks are going to move out, ”he said about the development of the situation.

Govorun said that although many monks support the Lavra’s abbot, Metropolitan Pavel, many of them also disagree with him, and some approve of the OCU and are ready to join it, at least some of the monks expressed such readiness.

He suggested that the opinion changed due to the “ultimatum” nature of the proposal to move to the OCU.

“We will see what happens on March 29. So far, it is not possible for a part of the monastic community of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to remain in the Lavra already within the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” the theologian noted.