Metropolitan Luke turns to MIA head due to a murder in the temple

Metropolitan of Zaporozhye and Melitopol Luke, the Chancellor of Zaporozhye eparchy of the UOC

Below is the full text of the appeal published on the site of the UOC.

“Esteemed Arsen Borisovich!
 Esteemed Yuri Vitalievich!

On behalf of the clergy and parishioners of Zaporozhye eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, I must turn to you on the following matter: that outrageous incident that occurred on June 19 in the Melitopol temple of the Great Martyr Panteleimon, being built on the territory of the local hospital, was the last drop to overflow the cup of patience!

In 2017-2018, the temples of the Zaporozhye eparchy of the UOC were subjected to robberies by vandals14 times. Even St. Andrew's Cathedral, one of the main temples of the Zaporozhye eparchy, was attacked, during which robbers tried to steal a piece of St. Paraskeva's relics, which had been delivered for the worship of believers (thanks to the reaction of an accidental witness who called the police, the plans of the criminals were destroyed). Out of the 14 crimes only two have been solved so far! The priests have now lost their faith in the positive outcome of their statements to the law enforcement agencies so much that they no longer consider these appeals effective.

But what happened today exceeded everything: a man was killed on the territory of the temple – a watchman on duty on the night shift. The robbers broke into the territory at one o'clock in the morning and not only smashed the head of an unarmed elderly man, but even after the church icons were prepared to be taken out, they began to "celebrate this occasion" right in the temple-based refectory, having arranged a booze! Such inhumanity is hard to imagine!

You spend time and resources to reform law enforcement agencies, to purchase equipment, new competitive features, etc., so why does the actual level of law enforcement, protection of life and peace of Ukrainian citizens not allow them to feel safe? We all have a question: how many more temples should be robbed and how many believers killed so that the officials could condescend to our "minor" problems?

Or do they think that as soon as a single local church is established in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian land is "sanctified" by gay parades under the police protection, the reforming of which consumes the money of simple taxpayers – the parishioners of these temples – then crime will disappear by itself?

I ask you as a chancellor of Zaporozhye eparchy, as a citizen of Ukraine: abandon politics and intrigues, and start fulfilling your direct duty – the protection of order and our peaceful life – in a professional way. We strive to live and pray peacefully, to live without fear of "being attacked by the night thief" – after all, this is our constitutional right, and we insist on its implementation as one of the European values, spoken so much by those who are at the power helm.

May the Lord make you wise and direct in the service for the sake of people of Ukraine rather than political interests!"

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