Metropolitan Luka (Kovalenko) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) in Zaporizhzhia announced the severance of relations with the Russian Orthodox Church, referring to Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) as Judas.
Last week, Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhia and Melitopol announced the severance of relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and its administration led by Patriarch Kirill. In his address, he condemned the actions of the Russian Orthodox Church, which, according to him, had turned into a “predator that devours everything” and annexed part of the Zaporizhzhia diocese (Berdiansk diocese), forming a separate Skadovsk diocese.
Luka also stated that he renounces membership in the synodal commissions of the Russian Orthodox Church and breaks ties with its leadership and clergy until they “completely repent.”
However, this “coat flipping” lasted less than an hour because the very posting on social media containing sharp statements has disappeared from the page of the Zaporizhzhia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP). Apparently, Luka was “slapped” by the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church and decided to delete his workings.
The situation is becoming more and more interesting as Metropolitan Luka does not consider it necessary to react in any way to his diocese being stolen by the Moscow Patriarchy.
Kovalenko is one of the most pro-Russian hierarchs among the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP), along with Snigiriev, Pakanich, and Yeletsky. Previously, Metropolitan Luka refused to mourn a child who had been baptized in the UOC-KP. He is also spotted in the scandal around the evacuation corridor from Mariupol, where he justified Russian strikes targeting civilians in that corridor, giving an interview to propaganda media.
