UOC hierarch: Theomachists cut not the priest's throat, but Christ's

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol. Photo: press service of the Zaporizhzhia Eparchy

Metropolitan Luke (Kovalenko) called the attack on Archpriest Antony Kovtoniuk a symbolic response to the multi-million appeal of the UOC flock to politicians, who decided to cut the throat of the Church. Vladyka wrote about this in his Telegram channel.

The hierarch emphasized that what had happened was a direct consequence of calls for violence and genocide against the clergy and believers “by the cynical clowns of Quarter 95 and those masterminds who encourage blasphemy and sacrilege,” as well as “media propaganda that is destroying Ukraine systematically and consistently by pitting citizens against each other.”

“What can I say about this? Unfortunately, I am almost sure that this sacrifice will not change anything; there will be no repentance of the God-fighters. The first piece of news I read in the secular media about this crime began like this: "In Vinnytsia, a man attacked a priest of the Moscow Patriarchate." This martyrly shed blood will only please Satanists. Clowns, journalists, politicians, who serve the devil, will continue to count how many zeros have been added to their income and multiply the money received from the servants of the Antichrist. But what I am sure of is that there will be an infinity sign at the end of all these ‘zeroes’. It will be an infinity of eternal torment, which they are guaranteed to earn for themselves with their whole lives. The theomachists cut the throat not of the priest, but of Christ, Whom this priest served,” said the Metropolitan of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol.

The bishop recalled the words of the Jews they told Pilate in response to his request to pardon the Savior: "His blood is on us and on our children."

“I will repeat this in relation to all who today rejoice in this bloodshed. The blood of this priest is on you and on your children. It will forever remain on the clowns of Quarter 95, on those who promote anti-church laws, on politicians, on journalists who persecute the Church – it will be sufficient for all of you. And believe me – you will answer for everything, if not in this life, then at the Judgment of God,” Vladyka Luke added.

Recall that on January 2, 2022, a man with a knife attacked the rector of the Intercession Church in Vinnytsia.

Read also

Interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, First Hierarch of ROCOR

The Southern Clergy Retreat and the Growth of Orthodoxy in the South