Our comment
Even at the beginning of the “tomos hyip” in expert circles, it was suggested that the potential “confessors” of the Ukrainian split can be divided into two groups. The former include all the Local Churches that enter the orbit of the “planet Hellenism” headed by Ecumenical Patriarch. However, of these, only Antioch and Jerusalem remained. The former are unlikely to take this step, given the fact of the most powerful humanitarian support from the Russian Federation. Jerusalem is also hardly ready to recognize the OCU, since it has assumed the role of an arbitrator in this matter and does not plan to give up its positions. The second group remains – those disloyal to the Russian Orthodox Church. Georgian and Romanian are ready to “shoot” of them. The first are due to internal political and church instability, being inclined to recognize the Ukrainian schism from different sides. The second is in the context of their claims to Moldova, which the RUMOC considers their canonical territory, as well as Bukovina, where a significant number of ethnic Romanians live. Recall that the OCU has already announced that they are ready to share part of “their” parishes in Bukovina with the Romanian Church. There are as many as 150 of them, according to Dumenko. Time will tell whether the GOC and RUMOC will be included in the list of two unnamed Local Churches, allegedly ready to recognize the OCU.
2) Believers of the UOC hold a prayer stand at the Rada against the renaming of the UOC
Our comment
After months of banning mass actions, the believers of the UOC have reminded of themselves again. The reasons for standing are the same as before: raider attacks, actions of black registrars, blocking of legal processes by the Ministry of Culture, etc. It is characteristic that each such event becomes a marker of the authorities’ attitude to the Church, and this time was no exception. Unfortunately, we saw that the issue of the religious world is not on the presidential agenda, and the unwillingness to abolish the “law on renaming” the UOC is an indicator that the state reserves the right to maintain leverage on the largest denomination in Ukraine. Zelensky reacted in the style of “stink me not tsikavi”, calling the believers of the UOC “grandmothers in the caps of the ОPFL”.
Colleagues from the telegram channel “Labarum. Sim pobedishi” noted that “Church theme” is a black mark for presidents, comparing what is happening with the protests in Montenegro. However, this pattern is not so much a social as a spiritual aspect. In both situations, real “non-resistance to evil” (Matthew 5:39) is much more effective than hundreds of protests. In such cases, it is vital that prayer times do not turn into political performances. And given the large number of people interested in the implementation of such schemes, these risks are increasing. By the way, the President’s Office later announced that Zelensky’s words to the believers of the UOC were interpreted incorrectly.
However, a few days later, Zelensky, not without a hint, announced that Russia, among other things, “took our faith for itself”. This statement was very clearly assessed by one of the authors of the Pravblog telegram channel, who wrote that Zelensky has already formed a picture in which church issues are a reflection of political and geopolitical positions.
3) The hierarch of the OCU has not yet re-registered his diocese from the UAOC
Our comment
Afanasy Shkurpiy is one of the former representatives of the UAOC, who is in no hurry to fully integrate into the OCU. By the way, quite recently the same figure complained that his “brother” from the former UOC-KP was seizing parishes subordinate to him. The fact that there is an interspecific struggle in the OCU is no secret for a long time. Similar episodes take place in almost all regions of Ukraine, where the former supporters of the head of UOC KP Filaret share the power with the “autocephalists.” Naturally, the first to emerge victorious from this battle.
In the context of these events, the “expert” opinions and attempts of a certain the official of the Lviv Regional State Administration – Dmitry Goreviy, who, not sparing his free time, is working on how to annoy the canonical UOC in all possible ways. It seems that the talent of an official of this level would be much more useful in resolving conflicts within the OCU itself, for which he is so worried.
By the way, you can also include Kirill Govorun there, with his “expert” opinions about and the latter.
4) Metropolitan of Lugansk and Alchevsk Mitrofan (Yurchuk) died
Our comment
We express our sincere condolences to the Luhansk diocese of the UOC, the DECR of the UOC and everyone who was close to the newly reposed Metropolitan Mitrofan (Yurchuk). As it was said in one of the obituaries published today, Vladyka worked in difficult times in difficult obediences. Despite this, he was able to maintain the necessary balance, which definitely arouses respect for the newly reposed. R.I.P.
