Lavrov Slams New Ukrainian Church as “Travesty of History” Aimed at Dividing Both Nations

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On Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs S V Lavrov said at the Russian-Tajik Slavonic University that the establishment of the so-called Orthodox Church of the Ukraine violated the precepts of state non-interference in ecclesiastical life as well as the canons of Orthodox Christianity:

The decision was totally illegitimate under all canons… both the canons of state non-interference in ecclesiastical life and the canons of Orthodox Christianity itself, because the 1686 decision on transferring that church under the Moscow Patriarchate’s auspices made in Constantinople is irrevocable. All you have to do is to read it. I believe that this travesty of history, which  pursues the objective of sowing discord between Russia and the Ukraine, in addition to preventing our peoples from being friendly, is essentially a crime [by the current Ukrainian régime] against their citizens.

Ecclesiastical standoff in the Ukraine

The current leadership in the Ukraine sought to create a local Orthodox church independent of the Moscow Patriarchate ever since it came to power after a violent coup in 2014. Last April, Ukrainian President P A Poroshenko sent a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew Achontonis of Constantinople requesting autocephaly for the Ukrainian church. The Poroshenko régime cobbled together a “unification council” held in Kiev on 15 December 2018, which announced the creation of a new church, the so-called Orthodox Church of the Ukraine. The EP handed over a Tomos of Autocephaly (a clerical decree on establishing an independent church) to its head, “Metropolitan” Epifany Dumenko, on 6 January 2019. Both the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church/MP and the central apparat of the Moscow Patriarchate consider the newly-established ecclesiastical institution schismatic. Other Local Churches either condemned Constantinople’s actions or chose ostentatious silence. None of them congratulated Epifany on receiving a Tomos of Autocephaly.

5 February 2019

TASS

http://tass.com/society/1043295

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Putin sez that Russia Reserves the Right to Defend Religious Freedom in the Ukraine

Peace procession of the canonical UPTs/MP in 2016… it contains 85 percent of the Orthodox believers in the Ukraine

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President V V Putin noted that the struggle for power is a problem in church life in the Ukraine; it seems that a project based in speculation and politicking is taking place. He stated that Russia doesn’t wish to interfere in the situation, but it reserves the right to react to human rights abuses there. On Thursday, Putin spoke at a solemn ceremony noting the 10th anniversary of the MP’s Local Council:

Fraternal inter-church ties historically united and brought people together, serving to develop equitable relations between Russia and many foreign countries. However, unfortunately, we see other examples where speculation, politicking, and parasitism affecting questions of religious life led to disunity amongst the people, provoking anger, and fanning fanaticism. Such projects aren’t related to faith, but are obvious fakes, being entwined with the struggle for power taking place in the Ukraine. It’s regrettable that it involved the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In fact, this was blatant interference in church life. Its initiators looked as though they had learnt from the godless of the last century, who expelled believers from churches, and harassed and persecuted the clergy. The Russian authorities consider it unacceptable to interfere in church affairs. We respect and will respect the independence of church life, especially, in a neighbouring sovereign country. Nevertheless, we reserve the right to react and do everything to protect human rights, including freedom of religion.

31 January 2019

Interfax-Religion

http://interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=71945

A Plurality of Ukrainian Believers Belong to the UPTs/MP

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A poll conducted by Ukrainian Sociology Service found that 67 percent of Ukrainians call themselves believers. The largest group of believers (39.4 percent) belong to the UPTs/MP. The self-proclaimed (uncanonical) Kiev Patriarchate had 25.3 percent, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics had 21.3 percent, and the uncanonical Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church had 4.6 percent. In addition, the Ukraine has 1.9 percent Muslims, 1.3 percent Pentecostals, 1.2 percent Baptists, 0.6 percent Roman Catholics, and 0.2 percent Jews. Over the past 13 years, the number of religious believers in the Ukraine significantly increased (50 percent in 2003 to 67 percent in 2016).

23 November 2016

Interfax-Religion

Editor:

Both the Uniates and so-called “Kiev Patriarchate” showed gains against the UPTs/MP, but as virtually all of these “gains” came about as the result of armed seizures by nationalist thugs since the American-fomented coup in 2014, the above figures are notional, to say the least. That is, the bulk of believers are still faithful to the canonical UPTs/MP… the Uniates and uncanonical schismatics will have a major deflation after the fall of the present pro-American fascist junta. May that day come soon, to cut short the suffering of the ordinary people (note well that the suffering doesn’t move the “Ukrainian” diaspora, nor does it move their political sugar-daddies such as McCain, Bolton, and Clinton… evil, isn’t it?).

BMD

EP Ready to Interfere in the Ukraine per “Ukrainian Orthodox” Bishop from Canada… Is Black Bart Getting Ready to Knife Christ’s Church in the Back at the Behest of the Anglo Americans and Papists?

Will Bart remain a loyal slave of the West… or will he turn on them? Beware of Greeks bearing gifts… has the West forgotten that?

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Metropolitan Yuri Kalischuk, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada (subjected to the EP), said during an interview in Ukrinform that the EP is ready to help Orthodox Ukrainians to unite and awaits for a request by the Churches and the President (sic) of the Ukraine. Speaking about his recent visit to Istanbul, and his reception by Patriarch Bartholomew Archontonis of Constantinople, Metropolitan Yuri said, “The patriarch emphasised that the EP never forgets that she’s the Mother Church of Ukrainian Orthodoxy (sic). He’s said this many times before. The EP is monitoring the situation in the Ukraine and considers it’s an ideal time to unite the Orthodoxy there. Uniting the Orthodox in the Ukraine will work. This is an ideal situation”. Metropolitan Yuri noted that Orthodox believers in the Ukraine hold different positions… some are pro-Ukrainian and some are pro-Moscow. However, the Church’s flexibility makes it possible to meet the needs of people with different views. What the EP had in mind in this case, Metropolitan Yuri didn’t spell out, as well as why he equates the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church with schismatic conventicles in speaking of unity. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Yuri called the MP’s jurisdiction over the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church “unnatural”, saying, “The EP expects to receive requests from state leadership and the Ukrainian Orthodox jurisdictions here, most importantly, from the President of the Ukraine (sic), inviting the EP to help in this situation”.

25 February 2015

Sedmitza.ru

http://www.sedmitza.ru/text/5430496.html

Editor:

Say “sayonara” to the notional “all-Orthodox Sobor” in 2016. This move shitcans it permanently. Now, why would Bart rip up something that’s he wanted for years? I think that his sugar daddies at the Vatican and Langley jerked his chain. The Anglo American Establishment and the Curia are seeing their “Ukrainian” project imploding… and in short order. They’re pulling out all the stops to keep their neofascist clients afloat. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian situation doesn’t play to the Anglosphere’s strengths. Firstly, the Black Sea isn’t suited to carrier operations or to nuclear attack sub operations. It’s ideally suited for silent diesel boats… remember the kerfuffle when the Norwegian diesel boat snuck past a US Navy carrier’s escort group? The Russians have that sort of stuff in the Black Sea. That is, Anglosphere naval superiority doesn’t mean squat in this theatre. In any case, if the USN tried moving ANY naval forces into the Black Sea, the Russians would notice it as it passed through the Turkish Straits.

Secondly, NATO airbases are far from the putative warzone. That’s important, for if NATO tried moving aircraft to closer bases in the Ukraine, Russian air defence would register that, probably, leading to preventive strikes on the bases by Russian forces (which are probably on alert due to the crisis). The farther away the bases, the less ordnance that the aircraft can carry… that’s just simple logic. If they tried in-air refuelling, Russian radar would catch that, spoiling the surprise. Air power is utterly dependent on bases… it’s not as mobile as the uninformed think.

Thirdly, Russian satellite recon would detect any NATO ground movements, and there isn’t any major ground forces available intheatre to begin with. The USA doesn’t have the ground forces to take on Russia, ISIS, and the Taliban all at once, not counting forces to watch the Chinese, Iranians, and DPRK. If you recall, last year, Putin got authorisation from the Gosduma to call reservists to the colours for “refresher training”… normally, this isn’t done in the Russian system. What that means is that Russia can call reservists back into service under a legal umbrella. In short, the NATO situation sucks… the military men must know it, but the “Perfumed Princes” echo the pols to keep their jobs.

A Gori is in the making… the Novorossiyans and the Russians already received an intel windfall at Debaltsevo. Some of the American equipment was still in its original packing crates! Trust me… that stuff is now in Akademgorodok; the wonks are tearing it down and inspecting it. Remember, the USSR reverse-engineered the B-29 in a year’s time… a tremendous achievement (A N Tupolev and his team rightfully received a Stalin Prize for their achievement). Russia still has world-class mathematicians, scientists, and engineers… if there’s anything that they can glean from the captured equipment and manuals, they’ll do it… and right smartly, at that.

All of the above is why the USA pressured Bart to do this goofy move. It’s desperate. It’s trying to stem Russia’s revival as a Great Power, and failing. What’s Bart to them? He’s nothing but an expendable pawn. Shall he remain a reliable lickspittle? Only time will tell us…

BMD