We recall that the Orthodox Church considers holy relics to be vessels of divine grace, and according to Orthodox patristic theology, we accord them respectful veneration.

St Gregory Palamas (Archbishop of Thessalonica) points out that just as Christ's divinity did not abandon his human body during his burial and three-day resurrection, the grace of the Holy Spirit does not abandon the bodies of the saints after their biological death, so as Orthodox we respectfully embrace the holy relics to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.

The existence of holy relics confirms the hope of the Resurrection and eternal life, the truth of the Gospel and the experiential experience of deification.

Statement by the monks of Mount Athos protesting against the Kiev government authorities for desecrating the relics of the Lavra in the Kiev caves.