On December 11, 2022, Metropolitan Longin (Zhar), rector of the Ascension Banchen Monastery, noted in his sermon that the war with God and the Church will not end in anything good. The sermon was published on the YouTube channel of the Banchen Monastery.

“Big problems began in the UOC, in the 21st century our government began to persecute our believers, to persecute monks and bishops. If something human is left with these people, if they have not yet become afraid to continue the war with God, remember, this will not end in anything good. Kill, shoot, we believe in God, we are not fanatics, we have love for our Savior,” said Metropolitan Longin.

The hierarch emphasized that to ban the UOC means to ban God, and this is absurd.

“Can you ban God? Brothers and sisters, don’t joke with God, your vote will end very badly. It is impossible to go against God and against the Church of the Lord. Wake up, wake up. Look what your Lenin, Khrushchev did, they are yours, and ours are the holy fathers who followed in the footsteps of the Savior and we are following in these footsteps, ”he added.

The bishop advised the deputies who vote to ban the UOC not to take sin upon their souls and not to finish off people in the rear with their laws.

“You have families, enough checks on temples, monasteries, enough bullying, our metropolitan (Metropolitan Meletiy, – Ed.) was summoned for interrogation in Chernivtsi tomorrow. This is very painful for our Church and state. We are shedding blood, our children are fighting on the front line, the people are starving, there is no heat, water and light, and you are finishing off us and God in the rear. What Khrushchev could not do, you are doing. He wanted to show the last priest, he did not succeed, because God is eternal, God is Love and Truth,” the Metropolitan emphasized.