Anthony (Makhota), OCU Metropolitan of Khmelnytskyi, passed away

"Eternal Memory, Vladyka! You have been and will continue to be a true friend!" wrote the city mayor, as cited by the media outlet Ye.ua.

According to the press service of the Kyiv Metropolia of the OCU, the hierarch has died of complications after coronavirus disease.

Metropolitan Anthony (Makota) was born on November 8, 1966, in the village of Slatyne, Zolochiv district, Kharkiv region. In 1991 he graduated from Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute.

In 1991, he was ordained a priest. From 1994 to 1995, he served in the Crimean Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate and joined the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.

From March 1995 to July 1996, he served as rector of the Cathedral of Sts Volodymyr and Olga of the UOC-KP in Simferopol, Secretary of the Crimean diocese. Since July 1996, after taking monastic vows and episcopal ordination, he served as bishop of Simferopol and Crimea of the UOC-KP. In 1997, he was appointed bishop of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilsky of the UOC-KP.

In 2004, the bishop was elevated to the rank of Archbishop, and in 2012 – to the rank of Metropolitan.

Since 2019 he performed his ministry as Metropolitan of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.