On August 8, 2023, Metropolitan Feodosiy of Cherkasy responded to the mayor of Cherkasy, Anatoly Bondarenko, to his threats to “cleanse the Moscow scum from the city.” The bishop’s video message was published by the Telegram channel Cherkasy evangelist.
Metropolitan Feodosiy noted that the statement of the rector of the Sretensky Church “transferred” to the OCU, Father Yevgeny Burkovsky, which so offended the mayor, is not unfounded.
“The expulsion of the Sretensky community was an unlawful act and will certainly be challenged in court when our country emerges from the state of legal nihilism and anarchy in which it is now. And, of course, the cherry on top of this whole bad deed was the expulsion of Father Eugene himself with his family, wife and all the children from his house on the territory of the temple where he lived. The tears of these children are on the invaders, and they will not be washed away from them,” the bishop said.
The bishop added that he understands the mayor’s resentment and this explains for himself his insults to the faithful of the diocese by “Moscow evil spirits or agents.”
“But do not forget that it was with the prayers and voices of this, as you said, evil spirits that you became the mayor of Cherkasy for the last time. These are tens of thousands of Orthodox believers. It was with the blessing of our clergy that you were elected to this high position,” recalled Metropolitan Feodosiy.
