While there are appeals to religious nationalism in Russia and Ukraine, it is important to remember that religious loyalty does not reflect political fealty during Ukraine’s struggle for survival.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that his invasion of Ukraine was justified partly by the defense of the Moscow-oriented Orthodox Church, both the leaders of Ukrainian Orthodox factions and the significant Catholic minority in Ukraine strongly denounce the Russian invasion.
“With prayer on the lips, with love for Ukraine and our neighbours, we fight against evil” vowed Metropolitan Epifany of the Kyiv-based Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
“Forget about mutual quarrels or misunderstandings, and… unite in love for God, our Motherland, and God,” stated Metropolitan Onufry of the Ukrainian Orthodox church, which is under the Orthodox patriarch, Moscow, but has wide autonomy.
Even this seemingly united front can be complicated. On Thursday, Onufry posted his message. On Thursday, his church began publishing reports that its churches and members were being attacked.
In recent years, the division between Ukraine’s Orthodox Churches has been reverberated around the world as Orthodox churches struggle with which side to take. Some U.S. Some U.S. Orthodox believe they can resolve such conflicts and unite to end the war. However, they are also concerned about the possibility of the war escalating.
What IS UKRAINE’S RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE?
According to surveys, a large proportion of Ukraine’s population are Orthodox. A significant minority of Ukrainian Catholics worship with a Byzantine liturgy that is similar to the Orthodox and remain loyal to the pope. There are smaller numbers of Jews, Muslims, and Protestants.
Russia and Ukraine are separated by a shared history, both politically and religiously.
They can trace their ancestry back to the medieval kingdom Kievan Rus. Their 10th century Prince Vladimir (Volodymyr, in Ukrainian), rejected paganism and was baptized into Crimea, adopting Orthodoxy as their official religion.
Putin used this history to justify his 2014 seizure in Crimea of a country he considered “sacred” for Russia.
Putin claims Russia is Rus’ true heir, but the Ukrainians claim their modern state has a unique pedigree, and that Moscow wasn’t a power until many centuries later.
Orthodox relations are still strained.
The history of Orthodox churches has been organized along national lines. Patriarchs have autonomy in their respective territories, but are bound by one faith. Although the EcumenicalPatriarch of Constantinople has universal jurisdiction, he is not considered to be first among equals.
WHO OVERVIEWS UKRAINE’S ORTHODOX CHURCHES RIGHT NOW?
It all depends on how you interpret events from more than 300 years back.
Russia’s strength was increasing and Constantinople’s church suffered under Ottoman rule. In 1686, the Ecumenical patriarch delegated to Moscow the authority of ordaining the metropolitan (top bishop), of Kyiv.
According to the Russian Orthodox Church, it was a permanent transfer. It was temporary, according to the EcumenicalPatriarch.
Since the last century, separate Ukrainian Orthodox churches have been formed. However, formal recognition was not given until 2019. The current Ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew recognised the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (which had been fiercely opposed by the Moscow patriarch) as an independent church.
On the ground, Ukraine’s situation was more complicated.
Many monasteries, parishes and religious buildings remain under Moscow’s patriarch. However, exact statistics can be difficult to find. John Burgess is the author of “Holy Rus'”: The Rebirth Orthodoxy in New Russia. Burgess stated that village residents may not know the alignment of their parishes.
IS THIS SCHISM A REFLECTION OF THE POLITICAL SPLIT BEHIND THE TWO COUNTRIES.
Yes, although it is complicated.
Petro Poroshenko (the former president of Ukraine) made a direct connection: “The independence and policies of our church are part of our pro–European and pro–Ukrainian policies,” said he in 2018.
However, current President Vladimir Zelinskyy is Jewish and has not placed the same importance on religious nationalism. He said that he spoke to both Orthodox and top Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish leaders on Saturday. “All leaders pray to the souls and sacrifices of those who defended Ukraine, for unity and victory. He said that it was very important.
Putin tried to capitalize on this issue.
Putin claimed that Kyiv was planning to “destruction” the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which he used in his speech Feb. 21 seeking to justify the invasion of Ukraine using a distorted historic narrative.
The reaction of the Metropolitan Onufry who compared the war with the “sins of Cain,” the Biblical character who killed his brother in the Bible, shows that even the Moscow-oriented church, has a strong sense Ukrainian national identity.
Moscow Patriarch Kirill, on the other hand, has called for peace and not taken responsibility for the invasion.
Since long, the autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Moscow Patriarchate was extensive. It is also becoming more Ukrainian.
Alexei Krindatch is the national coordinator of U.S. Census of Orthodox Christian Churches. Krindatch, who was born in the former Soviet Union, said that their political preferences do not necessarily correlate with the formal jurisdictions for their parishes.
WHERE DO THE CATHOLICS FIT?
Ukrainian Catholics live mainly in the west of Ukraine.
They were created in 1596 by some Orthodox Ukrainians who, at the time, were under the Catholic-dominated Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s rule. An agreement allowed them to retain their distinctive practices, such as the Byzantine liturgy, and married priests.
These agreements are a form of Catholic and foreign intrusion on Orthodox flocks.
Ukrainian Catholics have a strong history of resisting persecution by communists and czars.
Mariana Karapinka (head of communications for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy in Philadelphia) stated that “Every time Russia overtakes Ukraine, (the] Ukrainian Catholic Church is destroyed.”
The Soviets severely suppressed Ukrainian Catholics and many of their leaders were executed. Many Ukrainian Catholics worshipped underground and the church has seen a strong rebound since the fall of communism.
This kind of history may give Ukrainian Catholics a reason to resist another Moscow takeover. Karapinka stated that they are not the only ones being persecuted by the Soviets. She said that the Soviets did not persecute only the Ukrainian Catholics. “So many groups have reasons to resist.”
Recent popes attempted to mend relations with the Russian Orthodox church while also defending the rights and liberties of Ukrainians and other Eastern Rite Catholics.
In an unusual and unprecedented papal gesture, Pope Francis visited Russia’s Embassy Friday after the Russian invasion.
WHAT HAS THE ORTHODOX SCHIST MADE BEYOND UKRAINE?
As he sought to recognize an independent Ukrainian church, the Russian Orthodox Church decided in 2018 to “break the Eucharistic Communion” with Constantinople’s EcumenicalPatriarch. That means members of Moscow- and Constantinople-affiliated churches can’t take communion at the other’s churches.
These disputes reached the Eastern Orthodox churches of Africa, where the Russian Orthodox recognized a separate set after the recognition by Africa’s patriarch of the Ukraine church’s independence.
Many other churches, however, have tried to avoid this conflict. The United States has many Orthodox jurisdictions. Most groups continue to worship and cooperate with one another.
According to the Very Rev., while the war might provide some unity among U.S. church leaders, it could also test relations. Alexander Rentel is the chancellor for the Orthodox Church of America. Although it has Russian roots, it is now independent from Moscow.
He said, “This split in world Orthodoxy wasn’t an easy event for the Orthodox church to process.” This war will only make it more difficult.
