A chance for unity

On June 8, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC KP) decided at a session of a joint commission at St. Michael’s Monastery in Kyiv to unite into a single Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church (the final name is still be discussed) and hold a joint council on September 14, 2015, at St. Sophia’s Cathedral of Kyiv, which will finalize this decision.

It would be wrong to say that there are essential differences between the two churches. Yet, for some reason, the unification decision was made just now. What stood in the way of this unification earlier, although there were attempts to do so? Incidentally, not a single church in the world, except for the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the UAOC, uses the word “autocephalous” in its name. Now that the pro-Russian UOC MP dominates in Ukraine, the unification of national churches is of strategic importance. What really matters is not so much the mechanics of this unification as, on the one hand, a call for all Ukrainian believers to unite in spirit and, on the other, an attempt to reduce the risk of speculations.

On June 9 the hall of the Academic Board of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy on the premises of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery hosted a press conference to sum up the results of a session of the commissions that discussed the likely unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv Patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Addressing the audience, Archbishop Yevstratii (Zoria) and Archpriest Oleksandr Trofymliuk announced the commissions’ decision and explained in what way, under what conditions, and within what time limits what is officially referred to as historic unification of the UOC KP and the UAOC will be carried out.

KYIV, JUNE 8, 2015. THE COMMISSIONS OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, KYIV PATRIARCHATE, AND THE UKRAINIAN AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH MADE A HISTORIC DECISION AT A JOINT MEETING / Photo from the website CERKVA.INFO

Religion researcher Liudmyla FYLYPOVYCH commented on the situation as follows: “There have been unification attempts before, but they failed. And even now, which is very important, it is a question of not unification as such but of holding a unification council. The two churches are aware of many internal and external dangers – on the part of both the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP). These may even resort to bribery, discrediting, and many other ploys to tarnish the reputation of the Ukrainian churches, taking advantage of their disintegration. The commission has drawn up decisions and proposals. There were Ecumenical Patriarchate representatives at the meeting, who had no powers, however. This means that Patriarch Bartholomew is watching what is going on in Ukraine. The Council, to be convened in September, will put forward a program to unify the two branches of Orthodoxy. But let me stress it – to unify, not to add. Now this dialog commission is automatically turning into an election commission which will be preparing a joint unification council. The latter will put on the agenda such questions as election of hierarchs, the name of the new Church, and the UAOC’s status within the limits of the Kyiv Patriarchate. So, there will be very many problems, and it is not clear whether they will be finally solved. Moreover, there is not much euphoria because the clergy are aware of the difficulty of this process. Yet there is an undeniable and deliberate aspiration for integration in spite of all problems. The clerics are prepared to address them. Kyiv Patriarchate representatives have always called ‘the autocephalous’ brothers. Nevertheless, this sincere openness and readiness for unification goes hand in hand with quite a tough scenario which suggests addition rather than unification. It remains to be seen if the UAOC agrees to this.”

Although the church is separated from the state, it plays an essential role in state-formation and national identity build-up. The past year has shown how the church can in turn be used to split the country and be turned into a weapon for the aggressor. There are a lot of Moscow Patriarchate priests who often called their church ROC and were among the first to raise tricolors in the Donbas. Their profuse talk in temples about “the coming of Putin” and “wicked Banderaites” is common knowledge. Neither the state nor special services can influence this segment. There has been a wave of scandals lately about pro-Russian attitudes in the UOC MP: for example, the MP church head refused to stand up when parliament was honoring the killed Ukrainian soldiers and then tried to excuse himself slyly; or the Security Service caught some MP priests in a bath with go-go girls and a “DNR” cream cake. Even though the UOC MP seems to have discredited itself in Ukraine as much as it could, it still remains a powerful and influential religious organization. Undoubtedly, it can be effectively fought against not so much by the efforts “from above” as by the word, deed, and example of parishioners – above all, by the example of unity.

Father Dmytro, an Ivano-Frankivsk-born UAOC priest, has lived in Svatove, Luhansk oblast, for 15 years shoulder to shoulder with a Moscow Patriarchate church and the eastern Ukrainians who often pass one-sided judgments about other churches. At first glance, the soft west Ukrainian accent was to reject the locals who, let us be frank, do not often go to church and usually view it as a ritual rather than a place for spiritual search. So, Father Dmytro had to deal with this milieu which at first took a hostile and distrustful attitude to him, but, some time later, he heard apologies and a wish to make peace – on the part of Moscow Patriarchate priests, incidentally.

Father Dmytro thus commented on the churches’ unification: “I take a positive attitude to the unification, but it is important that it produces a result that will meet the expectations of the faithful. Unifications like this have no impact on believers. The true believers go to church to communicate with God, not with the church. Therefore, we must first of all be united in heart and spirit. My grandmother was born and raised in a small west Ukrainian town, where there were a lot of churches, and she would recall the respect that people showed for one another. The point is not in a mechanistic unification but in the respect for each other. Society must develop tolerance. Wisdom should also help us in the crazy war that had fallen to our lot.”

Did the Moscow Patriarchate, which dominates in the east, offer you resistance?

“Many people know neither the history of the world, nor the Bible, and they are often very far from spiritual culture. It is easy to speculate against this background. After all, in my view, wars are caused by watersheds based on ignorance and apathy to knowledge. I had to explain things and show a model of moral behavior. Speaking to me, the Svatove UOC MP Archimandrite Zakharii admitted that, in spite of antagonism, I had managed to form a positive opinion among the faithful. The MP church has often gone on record trying to persuade the faithful that the UAOC and the UOC KP are not canonical churches – therefore, people should be re-baptized, different prayers should be read out at funerals, and our rites are alien. They also humiliated by suggesting that I repent and go into the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church. But now these people greet and respect me, and sometimes even ask to forgive them. This is the power of tolerance and example. I think it is the right approach, including such thing as popularization of things Ukrainian in the east. We must first of all rely on what is ours, on what lives on and can develop. We must create conditions for Ukrainians and grow our own tree on our own land.”