KIEV HAS DECIDED THE CHOICE OF FUTURE HEAD OF AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH—NEWS MEDIA
In the event that Kiev receives autocephaly, the head of the new church structure may be Metropolitan Simeon, Obozrevatel reports.
Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Barskoe Simeon is a bishop of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPTsMP). According to the article, the administration of the president of Ukraine is actively promoting his candidacy.
The authorities in Kiev and the uncanonical church structures in Ukraine are counting on receiving a tomos concerning autocephaly from Constantinople before the end of the year. However, it can be received only by a primate of a "unified" church who must be elected at a "unification council" of Orthodox churches in Ukraine. The canonical UPTsMP has refused to participate in this event.
Earlier the chancellor of the UPTsMP, Metropolitan Antony, declared that Constantinople has sent to the heads of the uncanonical Ukrainian church structures, Filaret and Makary, a message in which it is stated that they cannot take part in the elections.
Antony called the list of ten bishops of the UPTsMP who supposedly are ready to participate in the unification council "fake."
The ecumenical patriarchate promised in the middle of October to give autocephaly to the uncanonical Ukrainian church. The Synod of the RPTs characterized such steps as schism and severed eucharistic communion with Constantionople.
The Synod of the RPTs called the decision by Constantinople to rescind the act of 1686 transferring the Kiev metropolia to the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarchate canonically invalid. Metropolitan Ilarion declared that Constantinople has lost the right to call itself the coordinating center of Orthodoxy. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 November 2018)
PETRO POROSHENKO, SCHISMATIC FILARET, AND METROPOLITAN SIMEON IN U.S.A.—COINCIDENCE?
In late September, three very prominent figures who are in one way or another connected with the creation of a united local church showed up simultaneously in the U.S.A.
On Monday, 24 September, Petro Poroshenko arrived in the U.S.A. The official purpose of his visit was participation in the work of the regular session of the U.N. General Assembly. There also were announced a "number of bilateral meetings with leaders of countries of the world," business circles, and leaders of the Ukrainian community in the U.S.A.
By a "random" confluence of circumstances, at the very same time there appeared in the States two persons who are positioning themselves in the capacity of aspirants to the role of head of the United Local Church. These were Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Barskoe Simeon and Filaret.
Metropolitan Simeon traveled to the U.S.A. on 20 September at the invitation of American clergy. Filaret has been in the country since 14 September. Each of these persons is connected in one way or another with the question of the creation in Ukraine of a church structure under the label United Local Church. Two of them are connected with this project publicly. Petro Poroshenko, back on 20 April 2018, made a loud declaration about the fact that he has managed to persuade Patriarch Bartholomew to give autocephaly to the Ukrainian church. Since then, the president has made similar statements regularly and has essentially placed the question of the United Local Church as the first point of his election platform.
Filaret, as head of the UPTsKP, the largest schismatic organization, undoubtedly aspires to head the structure of the local church. And only Vladyka Simeon, the UPTs Metropolitan of Vinnytsia and Barskoe, is remaining in the shadows of this project.
Nevertheless very many people point out that it is this bishop whom Petro Poroshenko sees as the head of the United Local Church. The president and the Vinnytsia hierarch have been joined by warm relations a long time. Petro Poroshenko has in Vinnitsia serious manufacturing might and he has frequently met with the metropolitan. Besides, the fact that Vladyka Simeon is a bishop of the canonical church substantially eases the task of creation of the structure of the United Local Church both for Poroshenko and for the Phanar. After all, it is no secret that the project of a local church will almost entirely consist of schismatics and the possibility of placing a canonical hierarch at the head of this structure can give it a certain veil of legality in the eyes of world Orthodoxy.
Vladyka Simeon is in the U.S.A. for the first time in his life, so it is hardly likely that the coincidence of the president's stay in this country is accidental at a moment that is so important for Ukrainian Orthodoxy. Obviously such a state of affairs is quite clearly understood by Filaret Denisenko, who is under an anathema and who sees in the position of leader of the local church a possibility for himself to enter the church by the back door. So knowing about the upcoming trip of his "competitor," Filaret and his entourage arrived in the U.S.A. earlier, back on 14 September, and developed vigorous activities there.
On 18 September he met with the former vice-president of the U.S.A., Joseph Biden. And despite the fact that Biden openly positions himself as an active propagandist for LGBT, Denisenko awarded him the church order of Prince Vladimir of the second degree.
A little later Filaret met with the American senator from the state of Ohio, Robert Portman. And despite the fact that Portman openly positions himself as a lobbyist for gay marriage, Denisenko awarded him the very same order, Prince Vladimir of the second degree.
On 19 September Filaret organized a meeting in one of the brain trusts of the American establishment, the Atlantic Council. Mr. Denisenko's speech there resembled the format of a job-seeker before employers rather than the speech of a church leader. Filaret spoke exclusively in political slogans in such a way as could most please the Americans. The key words were the following from his speech: ". . . We are thankful to the United States of America for the fact that they support the ecumenical patriarch and his intention to give us a tomos about autocephaly. . . . We hope that the United States of America will help us to bring our church business to the end."
All of Filaret's words and actions send to the American administration the obvious signal: "Choose me!"
The development of events around "Ukrainian autocephaly" shows that absolutely all participants in this process, including the Constantinople patriarchate, are looking obsequiously across the ocean. And it is there that decisions are being made about whether there is a local church project, in what format, and under whose leadership. While all of this is being done completely openly, without secrecy, and without embarrassing anybody.
We recall just the latest public statements regarding this project.
In April there appeared reports about the pressure of Americans on Patriarch Bartholomew with the goal of granting autocephaly to Ukrainian schismatics. In early August 2018 the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S.A. reported that the United States supports the creation of a local church in Ukraine. On 29 August 2018 the American Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, held a meeting with the head of the UPTsKP, Filaret, where this question was discussed. On 11 September at a meeting with Petro Poroshenko, the American ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback, declared the support of the U.S.A. for autocephaly in Ukraine. On 18 September, at a meeting with Filaret, former American vice-president Joe Biden declared support for autocephaly in Ukraine. Finally, on 25 September the American State Department declared that the U.S.A. supports proponents of autocephaly in Ukraine and considers Patriarch Bartholomew a voice of toleration.
At the same time, the rhetoric of representatives of the Ukrainian authorities with regard to Americans even in the question of the creation of a church resembles more the reports of subordinates before the authorities. Even that of the president. At the meeting with Brownback already mentioned, Petro Poroshenko, according to information from his press service, "reported to the representative of the State Department what steps are being taken on the path to the creation of autocephaly in Ukraine. Also the head of state thanked the American side for active support of Ukraine in this process."
Ukrainians have already reconciled themselves to the fact that financial, economic, and political matters have not been decided in Ukraine itself for a long time. But can one be reconciled to the fact that the fate of the church is also being decided by specialists across the ocean, for whom both Ukraine and the church mean little?
Now an obvious expansion against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is happening. For disagreement with the United Local Church project, the infamous "Peacemaker" has added to his lists His Beatitude Onufrey and a large portion of the episcopate of the UPTs, and is demanding their expulsion from the country.
The government, led by the president, is trying with all its might to create its own "hand-made" church structure. And can one blame him for this? Hardly. Every government tries to have its own projects under its control. But where is the real Church of Christ here? For now we see only the president's desire to rule a second term and the attempts of schismatic "bishops" to get around church canons and to acquire legal status and also the hysteria aroused in the news media about how a United Local Church is vitally necessary for Ukrainians. And the applicants for the role of its head are auditioning across the ocean.
And it is completely unimportant who of these applicants will now turn out the victor: UPTs Metropolitan Simeon, anathema Denisenko, or somebody else. The Orthodox Church is the Body of Christ. It is not of this world and it should not serve the interests of this world, even the most influential of its representatives. And the sooner we recognize this, the fewer shocks await us in the future. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 November 2018)
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