Lugansk, June 25, 2021
Photo: spzh.news
In a show of great love for their newly-departed hierarch, the Orthodox faithful of Lugansk carried the coffin with the body of His Eminence Metropolitan Mitrophan of Lugansk 1.25 miles themselves so that he could be buried according to his and his family’s wishes.
Vladyka reposed in the Lord on June 18 at the age of 58.
Speaking with the Ukrainian outlet Glavkom, His Eminence Metropolitan Kliment of Nezhin and Priluky, head of the Synodal Department for Information and Education, explained that due to problems between Lugansk and the territories controlled by Ukraine, the faithful had to carry Met. Mitrophan across the border by hand.
Lugansk declared itself independent in 2014, though Ukraine considers it an occupied territory of Ukraine.
“In order to bury Vladyka Mitrophan, the faithful carried his coffin two kilometers by hand, because transportation is prohibited in Stanitsa Lugansk (at the checkpoint)… So you can only imagine how living people get around there,” Met. Kliment commented.
He noted that Met. Mitrophan’s relatives specifically wanted him to be buried on the territory controlled by Ukraine. His funeral was served in Lugansk on Pentecost, and His Eminence was buried at the Kiev Caves Lavra on June 21.
In the same interview, Met. Kliment also dispelled rumors that Met. Mitrophan had been murdered.
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