Respected Bishop issues dire warning of the spiritual consequences of violating the monastery.

Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye has spoken out with harsh words of truth for the Western backed regime of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. As we have previously covered here at Global Orthodox, the monks have been facing increasing persecution in the form of government raids, expulsion from half of the monastery complex, and now, a looming 29 March deadline which could see the monks of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) forcibly removed from the monastery complex in a move that hasn’t been seen in this part of the world since Communist times. 

All of this is taking place within a country that the US and other Western governments claim is a modern, liberal democracy that respects rule of law. Take note all you Christians who live in such lands, as apparently what is happening in this pearl of modern democracy is totally legitimate and not at all repressive or indicative of anything but the highest standards of transparent and responsive modern liberal governance with full human rights for all. After all, America said so.

The Metropolitan, however is not fooled. Admitting he was among those from the Holy Synod that waited outside the office of Zelensky for a meeting only to be turned away when a convenient air raid alarm sounded, Metropolitan Luke insisted that they were not showing "subservience" to the "God-fighters," but rather showing a Christian attitude of striving for peace even at this late hour, displaying an amazing patience in the face of abuse; they were “spat upon, laughed at, photographed, and insulted by people passing by.” Met. Luke revealed. “But they also mocked Christ, spat on Him,” he added.

But, Met. Luke claims, the spit is not just from passers-by, but the entire government, as the expulsion of the monks is a spitting on everything that is holy and correct. But this will not come without consequences, as Met. Luke explained in detail, “Of course, having the power, you can trample on any human laws. And you can mock those who are trying with all their might to save our people from disaster. After all, there are also spiritual laws. It is precisely these laws that lie at the foundation of our being." 

He believes that, unfortunately, the Ukrainian government has no understanding about the power of the intercession of the saints: 

Have the modern Neros thought about what would happen if the saints of the Kiev Caves removed their prayerful protection over the capital of Ukraine? Did it occur to them that the intensification of the persecution of the Church leads to devastating consequences for the whole country? 
The authorities should read War and the Bible by St. Nikolai Velimirović, where they could learn that the Lord grants peace and prosperity to the people on the basis of the virtue of the leaders. ‘For the sake of the virtue of the leaders, the Lord averts the attackers and grants the people victory.’
Conversely, if the leaders become proud, they fall away from God, and ‘the Lord severely punishes both the leaders and the people.’ 

Finally, Met. Luke asks: “Who will be defeated by depriving the UOC of the Kiev Caves Lavra? After all, we know that even the slightest shock in the spiritual sphere is a harbinger of great catastrophes and disasters in our everyday lives.” 

The Metropolitan’s timely insights only add weight to the idea that the Zelensky regime is about to commit a massive own goal by continuing to persecute the monks and believers of the canonical UOC. And he illustrates that not only will this have secular consequences, but has the potential to have massive spiritual consequences as well, which could lead to the complete collapse of Ukraine as a state.

Certainly, if Kiev’s saints finally lose patience and forsake her, she is indeed lost.