Met. Luke: OCU isn’t the work of Christ, activists' actions prove it

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol

The activity of the OCU adherents and the media sympathizing with them shows that the creation of this new church structure is not the work of Christ, noted Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) of Zaporozhye and Melitopol during a live broadcast on the “UA: Zaporozhye” TV channel.

In his opinion, the deliberate substitution of the concepts of “religious community” and “territorial community”, attempts to intimidate believers and the clergy of the UOC, the lies of the media about the number of “voluntary transfers” to the OCU – all this contradicts the teachings of Christ.

“These arguments, which completely confuse people, and what the mass media are doing (they constantly lie in support of one structure) prove one thing – this is not the work of Christ. Christ did not lie to anyone, did not force anyone. This is a devilish thing. And what will happen to this? It will scatter like dust,” the bishop of the canonical Church commented on what is happening in the church life of Ukraine.

He noticed that lawlessness would not last forever.

"I would like to recall the words of John Chrysostom, that ‘hell reigns, but not forever’. And those who are going to the kingdom of hell – please, hurry there,” concluded Metropolitan Luke.

Metropolitan Luke noted that for the OCU, the head of the “church” is not even Christ, but the Patriarch of Constantinople, as the text of the Tomos says. “If you read it carefully, then who is the head of the Church? For an Orthodox person, the head of the Church is our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Tomos, who is the head? Patriarch of Constantinople. Head for whom? For the newly established Holy Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Why? What's this? A new pope?” noted Metropolitan Luke. According to the bishop, the Tomos has in its text direct signs of papism heresy. He called 4 such signs.

Read also

UOC St. Nicholas Protection Cathedral in Druzhkivka damaged in shelling

In the Donetsk region, shelling damaged the UOC St. Nicholas Protection Cathedral – the roof was torn apart, parts of the ceiling collapsed, and damage was recorded inside the church.

GOC reaffirms refusal to recognize same-sex marriages after court ruling

The Synod of the Church of Greece has once again spoken out against same-sex marriage and adoption following a court ruling in Greece, reaffirming its previous position.

Bill banning LGBT and childfree propaganda adopted in Belarus

A bill in the Belarusian parliament provides for administrative liability for propaganda of homosexuality and childlessness. 

In women's monastery of Holovchyntsi village, monastic tonsure performed

In the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy, two nuns were tonsured into the lesser schema.

Finnish MP urges EU to repeal law banning criticism of LGBT

Päivi Räsänen stated that the "hate speech" law in Europe serves as a means for censorship.

Displaced children from Dnipro baptized at orphanage in Mukachevo

A priest of the Mukachevo Eparchy of the UOC performed the baptism of children from the "Barvinok" orphanage.