Berlin, January 4, 2021
Photo: spzh.news
The German-language media has published a number of materials on the reality of the Church situation in Ukraine and in world Orthodoxy that has arisen due to Patriarch Bartholomew’s anti-canonical creation of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” (OCU).
In particular, statements from the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the canonical Ukrainian Church’s representation to the European international organizations on the violation of the right of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest confession in Ukraine, widely resonated in the world media, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The outlet fischundfleisch.com has published several pieces on the facts of violations against communions and believers of the canonical UOC as reported by the Public Advocacy NGO at the 45th session of the UN Human Rights Council, on the repercussions for the faithful after the creation of the OCU, and on the “discrimination and provocations” against the Ukrainian faithful who have turned en masse to the UN for protection in these matters.
The same site also published the documentary, “The Faithful: Hymn of Love” (available here in English), about the courage and perseverance of the true Christians in the villages of Butin and Kinakhovtsy of the Ternopil Province who have faced persecution from the schismatics.
The German outlet published the video under the article title: “Real Christians fulfill the commandment of love—a film has been released about the persecuted Ukrainian Church.”
One of the articles appearing on fischundfleisch states: “World Orthodoxy, which was peaceful, and even harmonious until 2018, completely lost its inner peace with the appearance of the new ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine’… The issue of recognizing the OCU brings a schism between Churches. Sergei Dumenko is probably correct when he says that ‘it depends on the OCU whether there will be peace in the Orthodox Church.’ What he doesn’t say is that the OCU has already destroyed the peace. No one knows what the Orthodox Church will look like tomorrow.”
Materials on the difficult Church situation and the persecution of the faithful under both Poroshenko and Zelensky was also been published by Rubikon, NachDenkSeiten and IMI-online.de, noting that the world media and experts “look at Ukraine through geopolitical eyes” and practically do not cover the “scandalous state interference in religious affairs” and the blatant violations of the rights of the largest Ukrainian denomination—the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, because it “doesn’t fit their picture.”
International media has also drawn attention to the problem of the authorities’ interference in military chaplaincy and about the true patriotism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has been persistently defending peace and fighting for a peaceful settlement to the military conflict in eastern Ukraine.
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As a native German I'm very sad and worried about the hate, generated against our slavic brothers. If I remember correct, Dostojevsky said, that western Europe smells like death and looks like a museum. For sure he was right and it is even worse in our days, but half dead animals are the most dangerous.
In the times of Dostojevsky until mid of last century, there was at least some kind of faith left in Germany. For sure not orthodox but lets say a echo of the old orthodox faith. But history with two world wars showed, that it was not strong enough. And in our days? There is nothing left! Almost! I kwnow a lot of Germans searching for the true faith. The Lord gives some of them the chance to get to know orthodoxy. And I hope that future brings a revival of the true orthodox faith in Germany, as St. Paisios of Mount Athos said once. Only then, with the mercy of God, old Europe has a future together with The Orthodox Church. Lets pray that the west orientated churches undoes the lead of Istanbul have found their way back to Church of Jesus Christos!