Metropolitan Theodosiy on new accusation for quoting St. Luke: "Absurdity"

Metropolitan Theodosiy (Snigirev) in court on May 22, 2024. Photo: screenshot from the Cherkassy Eparchy's YouTube channel

On May 22, 2024, the Kyiv-Sviatoshynsky court considered the third case accusing Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy and Kaniv of inciting religious enmity. In his statement before the hearing, the bishop declared the new accusation against him for quoting Saint Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky as absurd.

The Metropolitan explained that Saint Luke is revered not only in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church but throughout the Orthodox world. In particular, he has been canonized as a saint by the Greek Orthodox Church and other Churches of Greek origin.

"Currently, hundreds of churches have been built in his honor in Ukraine, Greece, European countries, America, Asia. The Society of Orthodox Doctors named after Saint Luke is being established. Medical institutions are being opened in his honor, international conferences are being held, books are being published. The memory of Saint Luke is perpetuated also in the Cherkasy region," he said.

According to the hierarch of the UOC, criminal proceedings against him were initiated precisely for the literal quoting of Saint Luke's address to Orthodox believers.

"The whole absurdity of this situation lies in the fact that the OCU also venerates Saint Luke, builds its churches in his honor. And yet, they didn't like the literal quoting of Saint Luke. Because it reveals their theological ecclesiological inconsistency, they perceive it as incitement to religious enmity against them. Let them sue Saint Luke himself," proposed the bishop.

In his opinion, this case, where representatives of the OCU again appear as the "victims", is another manifestation of biased and hostile attitudes towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and himself personally as the leader of one of its dioceses.

"But (what happens is – Ed.) enmity is incited not by me or Saint Luke but by representatives of the OCU, who present themselves as 'victims' in this case," he said.

As the bishop supposed, this criminal proceeding also indicates that the Security Service of Ukraine in the Cherkasy region has personal interests or orders to remove him from the position of Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kaniv.

"I consider it an unjustified criminal prosecution against me. I perceive it as an encroachment on freedom of speech, my right as a human being and a citizen of Ukraine to freely express my ideas or opinions without fear of reprisal, censorship, or sanctions," Vladyka concluded.

As reported by the UOJ, a cleric of the OCU acts as the "victim" in all cases against Metropolitan Theodosiy.

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