By Kostas Onisenko
The images from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where a service was held last Sunday, officiated by Metropolitan Onufriy and in the presence of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Church, which is under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate, caused an alginate impression on the Ukrainian public.
All the participating priests and the vast majority of the faithful participating in the service do not wear protective masks on their faces, nor do they seem to maintain any safety distance between them.
The photos in question, which Lavra herself published, immediately circulated on the internet, gathering several angry comments as the country is in a difficult situation due to the pandemic. On the day of the Liturgy – Sunday – 8,346 cases of coronavirus were officially registered in Ukraine, 3,129 people were hospitalized and 178 people died due to the virus. According to official figures, 32,132 people have died from coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic.
Lately, the cases have increased significantly, the hospitals are full. Even though the Ukrainian economy is facing significant problems, the authorities were forced to close the stores to reduce the spread of the disease. However, as they point out in Kyiv, this does not seem to be of interest to the Ukrainian Church, which is under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate.