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

16 September 2018. Bart Ups the Ante… HH Sees Him and Raises the Bet

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Bart has upped the ante. He named two “exarchs” for the Ukraine. Note well that neither is from the Ukraine…. one is from Canada, the other from the USA. That is, both are under the direct control of the CIA. If they don’t do what Langley wants them to do, well, they’ll have an “accident”. HH saw this bet and raised it. The MP has withdrawn from all inter-Church bodies that include the EP. No MP clergy will concelebrate with EP clergy. Communion is still intact, as the EP hasn’t yet declared its interlopers in the Ukraine a proper Church body yet. If that happens, well, all grounded sources agree. It’d cause a schism that wouldn’t heal in our lifetime.

The OCA is a deer in the headlights. It’s utterly discombobulated and shitting itself in fright. SVS and some of the konvertsy favour the EP…. most of the real ethnics favour the MP. Tikhon Mollard is supine and voiceless. I’ve no doubt that both parties are working on him. The EP can’t offer much… but the MP could pull the Tomos if Mollard proved recalcitrant. If that happened, many of the parishes would go under Moscow. However, no one knows what’s going to happen. I don’t know; no one does. No matter what, this is an existential crisis for both world Orthodoxy and for the OCA. All wait to see what’ll happen.

BMD 

Pope Francisco Spoke Against Encroachments on Integrity of Russian Church

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On Thursday, Pope Francisco Bergoglio said at a meeting with a group of Russian clergy that the Roman Catholic Church is in favour of the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church in the wake of Ukrainian President P A Poroshenko’s plan to institute an independent local [national] Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Ilarion Alfeyev, the chief of the MP OVTsS, led the group visiting the Vatican. The Pope of Rome said:

I want to confirm most of all in front of you, dear brother, and before you, that the Catholic Church will never allow an attitude of division to be born on its own. We’ll never allow it; we don’t want it. In Russia, there is only one Patriarch, yours. We won’t have another. Unification as a method isn’t acceptable in relations between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians at the current stage and only a sisterly dialogue between these two denominations of Christianity is possible. The Catholic Church, the Catholic Churches, shouldn’t interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church, not even in political matters. This is my position and the position of the Holy See today. Those who meddle don’t obey the Holy See.

At the end of April, the Verkhovnaya Rada supported President Poroshenko’s appeal to Patriarch Bartholomew Archontonis of Constantinople, who has the titular status of “first amongst equals” in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to grant autocephaly to a “united” Orthodox Church in the Ukraine. The global Orthodox Christian community recognises only one canonical Orthodox community in the Ukraine… the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of to Moscow Patriarchate. Operating simultaneously are another two bodies, unrecognised by global Orthodoxy… the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of to the so-called Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

In the meantime, experts and analysts say that Poroshenko’s aspirations received substantial backing from the so-called Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite), which is under the Vatican. Earlier this month, Metropolitan Ilarion told NTV that Archbishop (sic) Svyatoslav Shevchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Uniates “repeatedly stated his support of the project for a unified Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, while saying that the unity of this Church should be built on the successor of St Peter, that is, the Pope of Rome”.

31 May 2018

TASS

http://tass.com/society/1007457

Editor:

Francisco is telling the Uniates to cool it. However, they’re refusing to obey him. They’ve taken the CIA’s shilling for years; they more listen to Washington than to Rome. The Uniates don’t care what Francisco wants… their leadership are fanatics, as is the leadership of the so-called “Ukrainian Orthodox”. Ukrainian nationalists are evil… they push an agenda mired in falsehood and lies. The Habsburgs sicced these nutters on the world… the Austro-Hungarians have the blame for starting this kerfuffle (they wanted to weaken Russia… it led to their death camp at Thalerhof). Don’t forget, the Uniates blessed the SS, as did the so-called “Ukrainian Orthodox”. They’re unrepentant of that… hell, they’re proud of it! Ponder that… ponder it well…

BMD