On January 7, Metropolitan Epifaniy will celebrate a divine service on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ in the Holy Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
"After receiving the appropriate permission, we are pleased to announce to the faithful and the public that the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Holy Archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Kyiv Cave Monastery, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine will celebrate the festive Divine Liturgy on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ on January 7, 2023, in the Holy Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Cave Monastery," the press service of the Kyiv Metropolis of the OCU reports.
The service starts at 9 am. But please follow additional announcements.
Until December 31, 2022, the UOC-MP performed services in the Holy Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory Church of the Lavra.
On December 27, the Acting Director General of the National Reserve of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Oleksandr Rudnyk, sent a letter to Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebid), Vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the UOC-MP, announcing that on December 31, the lease agreement for the premises of the Upper Lavra temples by the monastery of the UOC-MP comes to a close. "Accordingly, due to the fact that the agreement to use the Upper Lavra ends, the church property cannot be used until the end of the verification period," the letter says.
Since the new year, a joint commission of representatives of the UOC-MP and the Kyiv -Pechersk Reserve (Museum) has started working in the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, which will transfer the Holy Assumption Cathedral and the Church of Theodosius and Anthony of Caves, that is, the Refectory Church, which were in the use of the UOC-MP until December 31, 2022, to the museum.
Metropolitan Pavlo (Lebid) confirmed that since January 1, 2023, representatives of the UOC-MP no longer have access to the churches of the Upper Lavra.