Posted by Hudzyk Jurko on February 24, 2002 at 23:49:17:
Ukrainian Orthodox church losing fight for independence - paper
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Feb 24, 2002
The Ukrainian Orthodox clergy have virtually lost the fight for independence from the Moscow patriarchy, a Ukrainian newspaper has argued. The paper praised Filaret, the pro-independence church leader excommunicated by the Moscow patriarchy, and noted the latter's success in launching a campaign against Ukrainian autocephaly on the country's home turf. The following is an excerpt from an article by Klara Hudzyk published in the Ukrainian newspaper Den on 21 February:
The bishop synod of the Russian Orthodox church anathematized Ukrainian Patriarch Filaret on 20 February 1997.
[Passage omitted: History of excommunication and history of relations between the Ukrainian and Russian churches]
Having secured the obedience of Ukrainian bishops by anathematizing the most active, dedicated and dangerous supporter of autocephaly, the Moscow patriarchy did not relax. It started large-scale spiritual work among the believers in the neighbouring country to persuade them that secession from the mother church (which is 500 years younger than the Ukrainian "daughter") is a sin. Numerous Christian brotherhoods and communities (mainly Russian-speaking) were created. Russian preachers (as active and eloquent as "foreign missionaries") were visiting Ukraine all the time. New dioceses were actively, and often artificially, established (there are many small villages with three parishes). Temples were built in an instant, like in a dream. All this served to spread the idea that only one church, which is a part of the Russian Orthodox Church, will save them and give them paradise. One can meet many believers today who believe not in Christ or the Bible but in the canonized church.
The situation in the Ukrainian Orthodoxy and hostility between the churches of the same religion are worsening progressively. Let me quote an address by the bishop synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the Ukrainian clergy and believers made on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Kharkiv synod: "We perceive the desire of Ukrainian believers for independence with understanding and responsibility. We are not against legal autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. But such a serious issue should be solved in peace with God, with patience and through frank worship according to church rules and regulations rather than using force and threats." The address was signed by all bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchy, and published in 1997. Today such a statement would be absolutely impossible. A big part of the bishops in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchy, the clergy of eastern and northern regions and Orthodox communities (the most belligerent force of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine) consider even "autonomy" a synonym to "heresy". It is dangerous to even mention autocephaly among the members of this church. One can say only: "Forever together!"
This seems to be the result of a "successful" clerical and political strategy implemented for 10 years by public and state figures supporting a united independent Ukrainian Orthodox church. The campaign for Orthodox autocephaly is completely lost in home territory with millions of the Orthodox sincerely devoted to the idea of Ukrainian autocephaly. According to opinion polls, the majority of the Ukrainian Orthodox support the idea of an independent church and there are known cases in western Ukraine when the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchy, conceal from their parishes the fact that they belong to the Russian Church. This shows how good we are as politicians.
Regarding the "cursed" Patriarch Filaret, he is still the most influential, gifted and active figure protecting the Ukrainian church's interests, even if we believe that these interests coincide with his own ambitions.
Source: Den, Kiev, in Ukrainian 21 Feb 02, pp 1, 2
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.