“We are not cogs in a political machine, but the living Body of Christ, which does not submit to political intrigues,” — Metropolitan Luka

Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia commented on the actions of officials who, knowing the documents of the UOC, continue to demand confirmation of already established facts. According to him, for some people, truth does not matter — what matters more are fabricated “expert opinions” and the pressure of propaganda aimed at discrediting the Church. He compared such actions to the behavior of the Pharisees, who sought to destroy any evidence of good deeds. The hierarch wrote about this on his Telegram channel.

The metropolitan emphasized that a significant part of the population, which does not live the life of the Church and does not participate in the Sacraments, is susceptible to propaganda and information manipulation.

“Instead of listening to the voice of the Church, they immerse themselves in the noise of news and aggressive campaigns aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Their consciousness is shaped not by the words of the Gospel, but by the words of falsehood and lies, spoken by those pursuing their political and ideological goals,” the hierarch noted.

At the same time, the Church of Christ, according to the archpastor, does not submit to political or social moods and will not compromise the Truth for temporary popularity. It lives by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given through the Sacraments. The metropolitan urged to remember the words of the Apostle: “For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth,” stressing that the Church will endure despite slander and pressure.

In conclusion, Metropolitan Luka called on the faithful to remain steadfast in faith, prayer, and participation in the Sacraments, drawing strength from Christ:

“In these difficult times, when a stream of lies and unjust accusations surrounds us, and public opinion sometimes becomes an arena of propaganda battles, we are called to remain unwavering in our faith and devotion to Christ and His holy Church.”

He emphasized that the true strength of the Church lies in its spiritual unity and life according to the teachings and example of the saints, and that no temporary trends or political intrigues can destroy its spiritual resilience.

We would also like to remind you that Metropolitan Lukа of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church urged to assess what is happening in society through the prism of the Gospel. In his address, he distinguished between true zeal for God and dangerous zeal “not according to reason”, which, according to him, leads to fanaticism and demonization.