Metropolitan Luka: Holding an LGBT Festival on Easter is a Disrespect to Holiness
Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol has strongly criticized the holding of an LGBT festival in Kyiv during Holy Week and the Bright Resurrection of Christ. In his statement, the hierarch called such actions a desecration of the faithful of the three traditions — Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. The comment was published on the Metropolitan’s Telegram channel.
«As an Orthodox Christian, I am deeply pained by the news that, during the days of special spiritual tension — in Holy Week and Bright Easter — an LGBT film festival will be held in Kyiv, promoting a lifestyle that contradicts Christian teachings,» the bishop stated.
In his opinion, true love for one’s neighbor does not mean silently accepting sin:
«Love cannot be indifference. True love speaks the truth — with compassion, but also with courage. God loves the person but hates the sin, so the idea that ‘God loves everyone’ in such cases is inappropriate.»
The Metropolitan also emphasized the symbolism of this year’s coincidence of religious holidays:
«This year, there is a rare coincidence: Easter for Christians, Passover for Jews, and Ramadan for Muslims fall within the same period. This creates a special context that highlights the sacredness of these days for the three Abrahamic religions.»
«Holding a provocative festival on these days is an offense to all three religious communities, united not by politics, but by reverence for God and the holiness of time.»
Metropolitan Luka also expressed regret over the silence of religious leaders who did not condemn such actions:
«When, during days that are sacred for millions of believers, a festival takes place in the center of the capital that openly violates moral principles, a natural and troubling question arises: where is the voice of the ‘greatest spiritual leaders of Ukraine from different confessions’?»
«We hear statements on political topics, social organization — and this is necessary. But where is the word about moral decay, presented under the guise of ‘art’?»
In conclusion, the Metropolitan called for respect for the believers:
«I do not call for hostility or violence. I only ask: show respect for the millions of believers. Do not turn holy days into an arena of cultural and spiritual conflict. There are plenty of other dates and venues. But Easter, Passover, and Ramadan — are not the time and place for such events.»
«I believe that the voice of conscience can still be heard. I pray for peace, prudence, and repentance — for myself, my loved ones, and for all who seek the Truth.»
Earlier, we reported that the CEO of the Cherkasy TV channel «VIKKA,» Serhiy Kuzliaiev, was outraged by the fact that a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, filed a lawsuit against the media for spreading false information about the archbishop in one of the television programs. Kuzliaiev was irritated by the fact that the UOC hierarch «is raising his head,» trying to protect his honor and dignity through the court.
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