Kiev, August 3, 2020
Photo: rt.com
The schismatic “Kiev Patriarchate” has been seemingly fighting a downhill battle for its property rights and place in Ukrainian society, after it was “reformed”, when its leader “honorary Patriarch” Philaret Denisenko schismed from the already schismatic OCU led by his former protegee “metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko. Seeing as the OCU has the recognition of Constantinople, the bulk of the schismatics sided with Dumenko, and the Kiev Patriarchate lost the formerly significant place it held in Ukrainian nationalist politics.
As a result, the Kiev Patriarchate (KP), which had been liquidated as a registered entity under Ukrainian law, had recently launched 21 legal cases aimed at retaining its properties from potentially being transferred to the OCU. Among its remaining holdings is the monumental St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, built at the initiative of St. Philaret of Moscow, which contain the masterpiece iconography of Vasnetsov and Nestorov.
Recently, the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation has announced it was closing the claims of the KP, which Philaret and his “patriarchate” are now contesting, as the Union of Orthodox Journalists reports.
In the official statement of the legal department of KP, published on the organization's Facebook page, it is noted that “as of July 31, 2020, the Kyiv Patriarchate has not received a resolution on the closing of the criminal proceedings.”
“In parallel with this, the legal department of KP initiated 21 court cases, the purpose of which is to protect the rights and freedoms of conscience of the Kiev Patriarchate and its property,” the statement says. “Work in these areas will continue until the registration of the Kiev Patriarchate as a legal entity is renewed in accordance with its actual state.”
Earlier, it was reported that the Director of the Bureau of Investigations Alexander Sokolov explained that the case was closed because in his opinion, the issue of the registration of the KP and its control over various properties is not a criminal case, and should be handled in civil court proceedings.
The Kiev Patriarchate complained however, saying the closing and the issues they face are a violation of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which protects freedom of religion in Ukraine. The sheer irony is in the fact that the Kiev Patriarchate constantly persecutes the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the very way it now claims its rights are being violated by the state and the OCU.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and all Ukraine, its clergy and people, have constantly come under attacks, and suffered church seizures at the hands of schismatics who Philaret has blessed.
We remind our readers that Philaret (a native of Donbass) once infamously stated regarding the War in Eastern Ukraine: “We should not think that the population of Donbass is innocent in these sufferings. It is guilty! And it must expiate its guilt by torment and blood.” In the view of the pseudo-patriarch, Donbass “has committed the sin of federalization.”
Philaret employs “priests” such as the scandalous Alexander Dedyukhin—who was awarded by Constantinople—who literally advocated for murder, and claimed the 2017 St. Petersburg subway explosion that killed 15 people was the answer to the Kiev Patriarchate’s prayers.
Concerning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), Dedyukhin said it could be allowed to stay in Ukraine, but only “small and persecuted.” Ironically, this is looking to be the state of the Kiev Patriarchate; meanwhile the OCU is filled with nationalists, and the UOC flourishes, but KP is looking small and persecuted by its former allies and by everyone save for the UOC, who the KP seemingly hated the most.
