Department for External Church Relations
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The First Hierarch of the Polish Orthodox Church Addressed Words of Support to the Brotherhood of the Sviatogorsk Lavra
DECR Communication Service, 09.06.2026.
On June 7, 2026, following the Divine Liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral of the Sviatogorsk Lavra, a message of support from His Beatitude Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland was read aloud.
In his letter to the monastics and parishioners of the monastery, which is currently located in an area of active military operations, the First Hierarch of the Polish Orthodox Church emphasized: “Christ the Lord did not call us to the glory and joy of this world. He did not promise us external peace and the prosperity of earthly gifts. The Messiah invites us to participate in Golgotha, after which together with Him we shall experience the Resurrection. Jesus calls us to seek peace in our hearts and the gifts of the Spirit from heaven. Although we have always known this, when moments of trial come, it is difficult for us to accept them, difficult to accept them with calmness. Yet the Risen One encourages us: ‘Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom… And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.’”
“In these difficult days of Golgotha, God is with you. We also are with you in our prayers and goodwill. We shall remain with you until the day of the Resurrection, when all sorrows will disappear,” His Beatitude’s address states.
Offering spiritual strengthening to those residing in the monastery, Metropolitan Sawa wrote: “Receive our love and archpastoral blessing. Endure. The Paschal morning is already near.”
According to information from the Sviatogorsk Lavra Telegram channel, for more than a month the monastery has remained without centralized electricity supply; therefore, the life-support systems of the monastery that depend on electricity are maintained with the help of generators. Neither the fire service, nor municipal services, nor ambulances come there, and there are difficulties with the delivery of supplies. In addition to the brotherhood, about 200 refugees and people affected by military actions are living within the walls of the Lavra.
As previously reported, in 2024 the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatogorsk, was subjected to persecution on artificial and contrived grounds and was held in custody for almost two years despite his serious state of health. This was mentioned, in particular, in messages sent by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ to the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, a number of religious leaders, and representatives of international organizations. The continuing pressure by the authorities of Ukraine on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including the persecution of Metropolitan Arseniy, is mentioned in documents of human rights organizations, in particular in a report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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