Serbian Patriarch offers condolences over murder of Sviatohirsk Lavra monk

Patriarch Porfirije. Photo: press service of the Serbian Church

Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia sent His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry a letter of condolence over the murder of Monk Varsonofiy (Turiansky) at Sviatohirsk Lavra. The text of the message was published by the UOJ-Serbia edition.

“We received with sorrow the news of the murder of Monk Varsonofiy at the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra and of the serious wounding of two of his fellow monks. We pray for the repose of the slain monk and for the recovery of the wounded,” the letter states.

On behalf of the entire Serbian Orthodox Church and personally, the Patriarch expressed condolences to Metropolitan Onuphry, Lavra abbot Metropolitan Arseniy, and the entire brotherhood of the monastery, quoting the Psalm: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. 115:6).

Patriarch Porfirije stressed that Sviatohirsk Lavra is not only a place of prayer but also a refuge for those who have lost their homes.

“Violence inside a house that sheltered people wounds more deeply than ruined walls,” he said.

“Whatever the outcome of the investigation may be, one thing can already be said: no one should be placed in a situation where professing one’s faith becomes a condition for survival,” the Serbian Patriarch stated.

He also urged that the death of the Lavra monk not be turned into anyone’s instrument:

“Your Beatitude, we pray that this violent death not become anyone’s weapon. We beseech the Lord, the Conqueror of death, to receive the slain monk into the Kingdom of His unfailing love, and to grant consolation to the wounded and to all the victims of this war.”

The letter is dated August 31, 2026, and was signed in Belgrade.

On August 23, 2026, at around 11:00 a.m., a group of unidentified men in military uniforms attacked members of the monastery in the upper part of Sviatohirsk Lavra near St. Nicholas Church. Monk Varsonofiy (Turyansky) died from a through-and-through gunshot wound to the head and neck. Monk Gregory suffered four stab wounds, including one that penetrated his lung, while novice Andriy Kyriienko was thrown into a ravine and suffered a punctured lung.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Ukrainian authorities and the country’s major media outlets largely remained silent about the tragedy, while procedural oversight of the pretrial investigation is being carried out by the Specialized Defense Prosecutor’s Office.

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