Moscow Patriarchate threatens that bloodshed may occur after autocephaly is obtained

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), Chair of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate is confident that after the Ukrainian Orthodox church becomes autocephalous in Ukraine, clashes will start over the ownership of Lavras and temples.

Intefax-religion reports him as saying this in an interview with the Greek church news agency ‘Romfea’.

“Filaret Denisenko has been deceiving people in various ways for 25 years now. He assures that the Patriarchate of Constantinople is about to grant autocephaly to this entity. (...) He also says that as soon as this new church entity is set up, the Lavras (monasteries) of the Kyiv Caves and Pochayiv will be passed to it,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.

Implementing such plans, he said, could lead to tragic consequences, as believers simply will not give up their Lavras.

“Now about 50 temples of the canonical Ukrainian Church are illegally captured by schismatics, violence is already committed towards the Orthodox believer, and imagine what will happen if the schismatics will start seizure of the Lavras. Thousands of people will gather, they will protect these monasteries, the blood may shed,” said the Metropolitan, adding that “in no way this may be allowed”.