Metropolitan Luke warns of "exarchate trap" for UOC amid absence of foreign delegations at Filaret Denisenko's funeral

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol (UOC) has sharply criticized the idea of creating an exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine, calling such a scenario a threat to church independence and canonical order. As follows from the text of the appeal provided by the user, the hierarch considers the recent funeral of Filaret Denisenko, which was completely absent of foreign delegations and official representatives of the Phanar, to be the «moment of truth.»

According to Metropolitan Luke, the absence of the Exarch of Constantinople, whose residence is located in Kyiv, at the funeral is a clear diplomatic gesture and a «verdict» on the subjectivity of Epiphany Dumenko’s structure. The hierarch emphasized that for Istanbul, Ukrainian religious leaders are not «brothers in Christ» but tools that are put aside when the geopolitical situation changes. The hierarch emphasized that Denisenko’s example should be a «cold shower» for those who consider the transition of the UOC to the status of exarchate as a way out of the crisis.

The Metropolitan also analyzed in detail the canonical and legal risks of transforming the UOC into an exarchate. He pointed out that such a status deprives the Church of true independence by transferring the decision-making center from Kyiv to Istanbul. Legally, this creates a «trap» for communities, as the statutory vertical can allow an external center to directly manage church property and remove unwanted clergy.

In conclusion, the hierarch emphasized that the creation of a new Phanar structure in Ukraine will only deepen the global Orthodox crisis. According to the Metropolitan’s position, expressed in the text from the user, the Local Churches (in particular, the Bulgarian and Romanian Churches) may perceive the actions of Constantinople as a «canonical invasion» and confirmation of the «papist» ambitions of Patriarch Bartholomew, which leads to the final collapse of the system of Orthodox conciliarity.

Earlier defrocked former cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill Govorun, is convinced that the creation of an exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine will help resolve the deepening interfaith crisis. He believes that such a decision, which should be made for a certain period of time, will help reconcile the UOC and the OCU, which are in conflict with each other.