Metropolitan Theodosius spoke out in support of Metropolitan Luke, declaring a disciplinary crisis in the Church

Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy and Kanev published an open letter in which he expressed official support for Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol amid ongoing public criticism and insults against him. The hierarch emphasized that such attacks indicate serious internal problems in the church environment.

According to the Telegram channel “Cherkassy Blagovestnik”, the reason for the appeal was systematic public insults of Metropolitan Luke. According to Theodosius, if anonymous slanderers do not deserve attention, the behavior of a full-time cleric of the Odessa diocese in the rank of cathedral archdeacon indicates a “deep ethical and disciplinary crisis” that has struck the modern church community in Ukraine.

The text of the letter notes that no disagreement – whether personal, worldview or canonical in nature – can serve as an excuse for rudeness on the part of clergy. Metropolitan Theodosius expressed bewilderment at the fact that the actions of the mentioned cleric have not yet been properly evaluated by the leadership of the Odessa diocese or the Ecclesiastical Court of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Theodosius also assured Vladyka Luka of the prayerful support of a large part of the episcopate, clergy and laity. He noted that many believers empathize with the situation, although they are not always ready to publicly express their opinions due to current circumstances. “We believe that the time will come when everyone’s deeds and words will be impartially evaluated by the Church and history,” the address, dated April 6, 2026, concluded.