BYZANTINE INTRIGUES
by Denis Denisov
What many in Ukraine expected and what people in Russia refused to believe to the end has happened. Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew declared: Kiev will receive its own autocephalous church.
The current problem in inter-confessional relations in Orthodoxy in Ukraine has its origin in the 90s of the 20th century, when the Ukrainian Orthodox Church experienced schism. A part of the clergy, led by the then Metropolitan Filaret, with the support of political authorities in the person of President Leonid Kravchuk, in violation of all ecclesiastical canons and procedures decided to create an independent Orthodox church. The result of these actions was a schism in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, the imposition of an anathema on Metropolitan Filaret, and at the same time the creation of the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate ( UPTsKP). To the present time, not one of the canonical Orthodox churches of the world has recognized it. But the Constantinople patriarchate, acting from geopolitical and financial motives, has already decided to create in Ukraine a new Orthodox structure, which means a sharp aggravation of mutual relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and, as a consequence, a schism in world Orthodoxy.
In order to understand the real reasons for the actions of the Constantinople patriarchate, one must cast aside the propaganda clichés that are actively used by the Ukrainian authorities and by Constantinople in rationalizing their position with regard to autocephaly. Then we will get an amazing picture. Representatives of the Ukrainian government (which according to the constitution of the country do not have the right to intrude into church affairs), who according to sociological surveys are supported by less than 10 percent of the population, along with the illegitimate schismatics of the so-called UPTsKP, in the name of the people of Ukraine and Orthodox churches have appealed to the Constantinople patriarch. And they have received consent to the creation of an autocephalous church. At the same time, the only canonical Orthodox church in Ukraine has spoken out categorically against this—just like the Orthodox persons who are faithful to it.
Now in nobody do there arise doubts that the creation of an autocephalous Orthodox church in Ukraine will lead to another catastrophic outcome for the inter-confessional situation in the country. It is obvious that after this, a real inter-confessional war will begin there, with seizures of church buildings and redistribution of property. Petro Poroshenko and his associates have provoked another schism of Ukrainian society.
If one specifies the motives of the creation of an autocephalous church in Ukraine, it is necessary to begin with the geopolitical preconditions. The Orthodox church is one of the last fundamental bases of the unity of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, which until now has not been destroyed. Taking into account that Kiev is clearly and systematically conducting a strategy of a total break with Russia, it is not surprising that time has caught up with the church.
For Poroshenko and his associates, the creation of an autocephalous church is one of the chief slogans of the election campaign against the backdrop of catastrophic failures of the country in economic and social policy. In the opinion of political advisors of the Ukrainian president, receipt of autocephaly will facilitate the growth of his popularity, even if at the expense of the country as a whole.
For Constantinople, the institution of autocephaly in Ukraine will mean getting effective control over another country. One should not forget that the Constantinople patriarchate receives its chief financial aid from the U.S.A. The influence of the States on it was also confirmed by the chairman of the synod's Department for Relations of Church with Society and News Media, Vladimir Legoida. Previously Constantinople appointed as exarchs in Ukraine Archbishop of Pamphilon Daniel from the U.S.A. and Bishop of Edmonton Ilarion from Canada. And then the State Department sent to Kiev its own representative for freedom of religious confession, Sam Brownback. He was instructed to discuss with the Ukrainian government and clergy "efforts for the protection and promotion of religious liberty." In the current world, all of this means that effective control over the policy of the Constantinople patriarchate is located across the ocean.
It is possible to treat what is happening in Ukraine differently, including its inter-confessional aspect. But the situation of the church in this country again clearly demonstrates: open war is being conducted against Russia in all directions. But we know that we will triumph, because God is with us. After all, truth is on the side of the Orthodox people, who will not permit the destruction of those few ties that remain between Russia and Ukraine. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 September 2018)
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