The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was visited by a delegation from the Vatican led by the Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. He was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Titular Archbishop of Martana, Visvaldas Kulbokas, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Holy See, Andriy Yurash.
The guests visited the Assumption Cathedral to see the consequences of the Russian attack on the world-famous monument and learn how the damaged shrine is being restored.
The Director General of the National Reserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” Maksym Ostapenko told the delegation about the destruction that the temple suffered as a result of a targeted strike by a Russian drone on June 15, and the subsequent work to save it. During the attack, more than 80% of the roof of the cathedral was destroyed. In total, 19 objects were damaged on the territory of the National Reserve.
The Holy See delegation also visited the Far Caves. Here, the guests were shown one of the main shrines of the underground complex – the relics of the holy martyr Clement, one of the first Popes of Rome. He died in Crimea at the end of the 1st century, and some of his relics later ended up in Kyiv.
Saint Clement is revered by Christians of different denominations, and the shrine kept in the Far Caves reminds us of the common origins of the Christian tradition. Today, representatives of different churches, for whom the preservation of spiritual heritage and support for Ukraine are important, are once again united around it.
The visit came a month after Pope Leo XIV publicly responded to the Russian attack on the Lavra. He remembered the innocent victims, the dead rescuers, the churches and cultural heritage sites destroyed by fire, and called for prayers for an end to the war, dialogue, and a just and lasting peace.
