A high-ranking Orthodox devotee leader in Ukraine has been hospitalized with coronavirus months after calling the punishment of the god of the COVID-19 pandemic for humanity allowing the “evil” of same-sex marriage. Patriarch Filaret, who heads one of the largest denominations of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. He also said in March that God “will not allow me to become ill of health because I have to serve the church. “
Kiev’s patriarchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has been separated from the main Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Church in general due to disagreements between Filaret and other leaders, showed in a Facebook post Wednesday that the Patriarch is being treated by COVID-19, a condition still “satisfactory”.
“We ask for holy prayers for the health and recovery of Patriarch Filaret,” the press service of the Kiev Patriarchate said in its Facebook post.
Filaret, 91, is a tough figure in the Ukrainian church, which has been a driving force for anti-LGBTQ sentiments in the country. Same-sex marriages remain illegal in Ukraine.
The British newspaper Independent reported that Patriarch Filaret’s remarks in a television interview in March led the Ukrainian LGBTQ rights organization Insight to threaten to sue him, claiming discrimination and promoting hatred. He never processed it.
Amnesty International’s country branch also condemned comments, according to The Independent, warning that they can only lead to violent attacks and additional discrimination against LGBTQ people in Ukraine.
In his March interview with Channel Four of Ukraine, Filaret said that “the cause of coronavirus is the sin of humanity. They don’t brazenly protect intelligence, but they protect evil. Evil is spreading. I mean, first of all, same-sex people marriage: it’s the cause of coronavirus and more. Children are taught their gender. Is he smart? It’s bad. “
He also defended his decision, given that the scale of the pandemic has become transparent around the world, to continue a shared spoon to give communion to his parishioners.
“Now there is an argument; Is it imaginable to take communion from a spoon?I ask the question: Do you think this is the blood and body of Jesus Christ?If you don’t believe, then don’t communicate. And if you believe, then how can these viruses be obtained from Christ?Unimaginable, ” he said.