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Ukraine’s patriarch Filaretos, 91, who blamed gay marriage for the pandemic, is in hospital after being infected with a coronavirus.
“We inform you that during scheduled examinations, Patriarch Filaret of Kiev of Russia-Ukraine tested positive for the coronavirus.” Now the bishop is being treated in hospital, “said a statement issued by the Press Office of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
In March, the hierarch himself, in an interview with the Ukrainian media, claimed that homosexual marriages were responsible for the pandemic, as it was “God’s punishment for the sins of humanity.”
“This is the cause of the coronavirus,” he said, according to NBC News.
Following the controversial comments, the LGBTQ community reacted vigorously and a lawsuit was filed against them in April. 
Strong reactions
“Such statements are very harmful because they could lead to an increase in attacks, aggression, discrimination and acceptance of violence against certain groups,” said Amnesty International Ukraine spokesperson Maria Gurieva.
Regarding the lawsuit, the patriarchy said that “as a church leader and as a person, the patriarch has the freedom to express his views, which are based on ethics.”
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