Cherkassy, Ukraine, March 18, 2022
Photo: spzh.news
His Eminence Metropolitan Theodosy of Cherkassy and Kanev of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, associate professor of the Kiev Theological Academy, commented on the information that Constantinople is using the war in Ukraine as a pretext to further interfere in Church life there.
“Divide and conquer—this ancient principle is still used today by the eternal enemy of the Church of Christ,” the hierarch told the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
“And, as always, under a good pretext.”
Unfortunately, the fratricidal war in Ukraine has also negatively affected Church life. Disappointed in his response to the invasion, a number of Ukrainian hierarchs have ceased commemorating Patriarch Kirill during the Divine services, and some have even called for the Ukrainian Church to begin the process of requesting autocephaly.
Other hierarchs, such as His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the UOC, have called for cooler heads to prevail, arguing that such major decisions shouldn’t be made “under the roar of explosions, but in the peace of Christ and prayer.”
However, a handful of priests have had to be suspended for going over to the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” and schismatic hierarchs have continually called upon the canonical hierarchs, clergy, and faithful to leave the Church and join them.
And according to sources of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, priests who don’t want to commemorate Pat. Kirill but also don’t want to join the OCU are now being proposed and encouraged to commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew in the services.
This was openly stated by Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, officially a cleric of the canonical Ukrainian Church though he openly supports and concelebrates with the schismatics. On March 12, Hovorun reported that he had just met with Patriarch Bartholomew, who is open to priests in Ukraine “who see no other options for themselves” commemorating him. As he says, this could be “a temporary step towards unification.”
However, such a proposal has no basis in the reality of Ukrainian Orthodox Church life, Met. Theodosy believes.
“These cabinet strategists who propose that believers in Ukraine now come under direct subordination to Patriarch Bartholomew again misunderstand our faithful, just like in 2019,” Met. Theodosy said, referring to Constantinople’s mistaken confidence that a significant portion of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church would join the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
“They still haven't realized that our Church lives according to completely different laws—not according to the laws they’re used to living by. The idea to divide and destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, using wartime, is doomed to failure from the start,” His Eminence affirmed.
Being the only canonical Church in Ukraine, “We are under God’s special supervision and attention, and this is our main and absolute advantage,” Met. Theodosy continued.
As the Church has always survived tumultuous times, “There’s no doubt that our Church will also survive this war, and this time, and this pressure,” because, unlike its “confessional opponents” in Ukraine, the true Church is “always directed primarily towards eternity, and not to the earth.”
His Eminence continues:
That is why the vast majority of our faithful are not as affected by earthly events and cataclysms as representatives of other “church” structures. Those who hope in God, who think about eternity, see everything differently. That’s why the Lord protects our Church. Those who are fighting with us can’t understand this at all. How many times have we been told: “You don’t have much time left, get ready to disappear.” Even in the past 30 years we’ve heard this several times. And shortly before that, Khrushchev promised to show the last of us on TV. It would’ve been so had God not been our guardian and provider.
However, unfortunately not everyone understands this, even within the canonical Church, and many are in a panic over earthly events, the Ukrainian hierarch comments.
The war has begun to vividly manifest the previously hidden qualities of people now, including clergymen, both good and negative. Priests and laymen loyal to their Church have rallied even stronger during the war. Those who are weaker panicked and staggered. And those who had a false bottom, with rot, generally began to take off their sheep masks. The war revealed the innermost things in people. But the war will definitely end. And what came out, you can’t take back. It can probably be washed away only by deep and sincere repentance. And our Church will definitely stand, despite the new overestimated ideas of Church strategists.
“And the main task today for us, faithful bishops, priests, and laity, is to support the weak, protect the staggered, and protect the discouraged. God is with us, brothers,” His Eminence concluded.
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