Metr. Luke Says Pressure on UOC Shows Signs of Genocide

ZAPORIZHZHIA, UKRAINE — Metr. Luke of Zaporizhzhia has said that mounting pressure against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) shows signs corresponding to criteria of genocide outlined in the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Speaking in an interview with Oleksandr Shelest, the hierarch referred to the recent killing of a monk at the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra and argued that violence and other forms of pressure against UOC clergy and faithful should be examined in light of the convention’s provisions. He noted that the convention identifies five forms of genocidal actions and pointed to killings, serious physical or mental harm, and living conditions allegedly intended to bring about physical destruction.

“Why are we being killed?” Metr. Luke asked, citing previous attacks against clergy, including the beating of a priest in Sumy and an assassination attempt against a priest in Vinnytsia. He also referred to threats against Metr. Theodosiy of Cherkasy.

Discussing church seizures and pressure on parishioners, he recalled an incident involving Bp. Nikita, saying, “What is that? This is the result of impunity and of an already established – not emerging, but established – goal of destroying the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”

Metr. Luke concluded that three of the convention’s five criteria are already evident, while questioning what conditions of life and family formation would mean for UOC faithful.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the Czech-Slovak Primate mourned a monk killed at Sviatohirsk Lavra.