Metropolitan Luke: They are trying to divide us over minor issues

According to Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, a pseudo-Orthodox lobby has formed at the global level with the task of destroying the unity of the Orthodox Churches. The hierarch wrote about this on his Telegram channel.

"Now the press is actively discussing questions regarding whether the Patriarch should be commemorated or not, whether we should have an autocephalous Church or not. The media are distracting the attention of believing Orthodox people from a more important and truly global problem. And it sounds like this – there is no place for Orthodoxy in the new world order. The world wants to totally destroy the Church of Christ," the bishop wrote.

According to him, the persecution experienced by the Church in the Soviet era is not comparable to the threat that hangs over Orthodoxy in the present time.

"Now the course has been taken by super-professionals, who, unlike previous persecutors, have built up a clear, consistent and well-thought-out logistics of the process. <... > To do this, they grant "tomoses" to stillborn religious structures on the one hand and on the other hand, they instil in the world community norms of life, incompatible with Christian ethics and morality. Canonical lawlessness together with spiritual degradation is designed to turn the Christian faith into compost, depriving believers not only of the grace of God but also of any hope for salvation. This compost will proclaim the Antichrist to be its spiritual leader," said Metropolitan Luke.

The hierarch believes that in Ukraine there is a task to make such a compost by merging different structures, which in one way or another associate themselves with Christianity.

"That is why they are trying to divide us on minor issues, which have nothing to do with the dogmas of the faith. And it is not about whether we will commemorate Patriarch Kirill or not, whether the UOC will be part of the Russian Orthodox Church or not. The question is not about this. The question is whether we will be with Christ or whether we will go to meet the Antichrist together," the bishop stressed.

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol urged the believers and the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be united. "Actually, this is our standing in the faith," he added.

As reported, Metropolitan Luke said that accusations of the UOC of a split are unfounded.

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