Bishop of Stuttgart: The Murder in Svyatogorsk Has Shaken the Entire Orthodox World
The hierarch of the German Diocese of ROCOR stated that the brutal killing of a monk of the Svyatogorsk Lavra has resonated with pain throughout the entire Orthodox world.
The Vicar of the German Diocese of ROCOR, Bishop Job of Stuttgart, in a comment for the Union of Orthodox Journalists in Germany, issued a statement regarding the murder of Monk Varsonofiy at the Svyatogorsk Lavra. According to the hierarch, what happened came as a shock not only to the brotherhood of the lavra, but to the entire Orthodox world.
«The new trial that has befallen the brotherhood of the lavra has shaken not only them and us, but the entire Orthodox world. We see how many representatives of Orthodox Churches have responded to what happened with pain,» wrote His Grace Job.
The hierarch recalled that the German Diocese of ROCOR regularly sends humanitarian aid to the Svyatogorsk Lavra, where many refugees are cared for — and therefore the diocese experiences what happened at the monastery as its own grief.
Bishop Job recalled the words of the wounded novice Andriy, who recounted that on August 23 military personnel appeared at the monastery and demanded that the monks glorify «Ukraine,» which they refused, emphasizing that they give glory to God alone. Father Varsonofiy was shot in the head and stabbed, Monk Grigoriy and novice Andriy were also stabbed. When the brotherhood found Father Varsonofiy after the attack, he managed to say: «I am a monk. Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ!» — these were the last words he spoke.
His Grace called Monk Varsonofiy a martyr in the true sense of the word — a witness (martys) to the truth of Christ — and cited the words that the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.
«And the truth of Christ endures forever and ever: the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Church!» — the archpastor concluded, citing the words of the Gospel (Mt. 16:18).
As a reminder: of August 23, 2026, an attack on the residents of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra of the UOC took place — Monk Varsonofiy (Vasyl Turyansky in the world) was killed, Monk Grigoriy and layman Andriy, were seriously wounded. According to the testimonies of the victims, the attackers were in military uniform. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated by the military prosecutor's office. On August 25, the lavra held a farewell service for the murdered monk.
