A prominent religious leader in Ukraine who earlier this year blamed the coronavirus pandemic on same-sex marriage has tested positive for the virus, his church announced.

Patriarch Filaret, 91, who leads the large Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate, contracted COVID-19 and was subsequently hospitalized, the church confirmed Friday in a statement shared on its website and on Facebook.

Early this year, Filaret said: "First of all. same sex marriage is the cause of the coronavirus."

Following Filaret's controversial comments, the Ukrainian LGBTQ rights group Insight filed a lawsuit against him in April. That organization put out at statement saying, "Our aim is to show people that there is no longer place for such statements from church leaders in Ukraine."

Ron: I wonder if in the US Gay people could sue millionaire clergyman ranking money damning gay people and blaming them for every bad thing that befalls mankind? If not, we have some consolation that the virus is not mindful of the pious and that God is not homophobic, at least not in the Ukraine. (To read more about the Ukrainian Church Man, Click Here.)