“The dogs are barking, the caravan is on the way,” is the official response from the press service of the restored UOC-KP “patriarch” Filaret Denisenko regarding the decree of the “Metropolitan” of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko, where it was a question of banning the ministry for the head of the UOC-KP vicariate Bohdan (Luka) Zgoba. The commentary was published on the page of the “Kyiv Patriarchate“.

“Archpriest Bohdan Zgoba (Hieromonk Luka), who converted to monasticism, is not a cleric of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and cannot be the one, because according to the Tomos of the OCU, the parishes abroad cannot belong to the OCU. Hieromonk Luka (Zgoba) is the secretary of the Vicariate of the UOC-Kyiv Patriarchate in the USA and Canada, this structure is registered with the authorities of the United States of America, under the leadership of Patriarch Filaret. This means that the prohibition by Metropolitan Epiphany in the priesthood of Hieromonk Luke is illegal, since he does not belong to the jurisdiction of the OCU.

His Holiness Patriarch Filaret, having familiarized himself with the illegal decree of Metropolitan Epiphany of October 30, 2021, confirmed the illegality and non-canonical character of this decree. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, despite various obstacles, continues its vital activity and growth. In connection with the words described above, a folk proverb is mentioned: “the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on,” answered Filaret.

As previously reported, the head of the Phanar replied that “Σκασίλα μου” (he does not care) about being excluded from the diptychs of the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time the UOC-KP performed the “monastic tonsure” of Bohdan Zgoba, obviously preparing him as a “bishop” in the USA.