Divided Orthodox Church Losing Believers (Probably an R.C. plot)
nick cobb
By Lily Hyde
KIEV, Oct 16, 2000 -- (RFE/RL) A spate of
church-building since independence seems to
indicate a spiritual rebirth in Ukraine. The newly
rebuilt Uspensky (Assumption) cathedral in the capital
Kiev stands on its original ruins like a phoenix risen
from the ashes.
But controversy surrounds the reconstructed
church's future. Ukraine's divided Orthodox churches
are at loggerheads over who should use it, and the
building has come to symbolize the increasing
identification of Orthodoxy with political and national
divisions.
A recent poll by the Ukrainian Center for Economic
and Political Studies found two-thirds of Ukrainians
consider themselves Orthodox. But the study shows
that Protestant and other religions are fast growing to
rival Ukraine's traditional faith, even outstripping
Orthodox communities in some regions.
One major reason for the growing popularity of other
confessions, the study suggests, may be conflicts
within the Ukrainian Orthodox church, which divided
in 1992. The then Metropolitan, Filaret, split off from
the original church, which is led by the Moscow
Patriarch, and declared himself head of a Kiev
Patriarchate.
A third church, the tiny Ukrainian Autocephalous
Orthodox Church, renewed its activities in Ukraine in
1990. Neither the Kiev Patriarchate, nor the
Autocephalous church is officially recognized by the
Russian and Greek Orthodox Church.
All three Ukrainian Orthodox churches hold identical
beliefs, and the conflicts among are the result of
political, not spiritual considerations. According to the
survey, most believers are not interested in the
schism. More than two-thirds of those who said they
were Orthodox could not or would not specify to
which branch they belonged.
But adherence to the Kiev or Moscow Patriarchate
increasingly is becoming attached to idea of support
for the independent Ukrainian state or for closer
relations with Russia.
Kiev Patriarch Filaret tells our correspondent:
"The Kiev Patriarchate and the [Ukrainian]
Autocephalous Church support Ukrainian statehood,
that is, they hold the position of the Ukrainian state.
We have a common platform: Ukrainian statehood.
Their position is based on state principles, from
political interests, and ours from church interests --
but we stand with the government, for Ukrainian
statehood. Whereas, the Moscow Patriarchate, not
all, but a significant part, takes the position of union
with Russia."
For its part, the Moscow Patriarchate says the
question of patriotism has nothing to do with which
church people attend, and that the breach with the
other Orthodox churches is a problem of
ecclesiastical rules that can only be resolved by the
break-away churches returning to the Moscow
Patriarchate. Kiev Metropolitan vicar of the Moscow
Patriarchate, Metrofan, says:
"We can't talk about union, but only about a return of
those who left, a return to the fold. And the only way
they can do that is through repentance. This isn't just
a whim of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church or a whim of
Moscow, it is clearly stated in church rules. If we're
true believers, we should not negate church rules, but
should carry them out. We are for a single church in
Ukraine, and [that church] should be independent.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is practically
autocephalous at present. We have our own synod,
we decide our internal questions without Moscow.
Practically our church has independence, which
needs to be legalized."
Division of church property is also a cause of strife.
Although the Moscow Patriarchate remains the
dominant church, with over 8,000 parishes to the Kiev
Patriarchate's 2,500, it is steadily losing church
buildings and even whole parishes to its rival and to
the Greek Catholic church in western Ukraine.
Still, the Moscow branch holds part of the country's
most important monastery, Pechersky Lavra. It was
given to them by verbal agreement with former
president Leonid Kravchuk, while the upper part,
which contains the Uspensky cathedral, remains a
state museum.
The Uspensky cathedral, destroyed during the war,
has been rebuilt by the Kiev city council and by
government and private donations. The Moscow
Patriarchate claims it as its cathedral church. But
because of the cathedral's prominent historical and
architectural value, whichever church gains control
of the building would appear to be the dominant
church of Ukraine.
When President Leonid Kuchma allowed the Moscow
patriarch to bless the Uspensky Cathedral on
Ukrainian Independence day, August 24, it provoked
demonstrations from nationalist groups. The group
responsible for planning and raising funds to rebuild
the cathedral is the Honchara foundation. Its
executive director, Valentina Irshenko, says the fund
wanted to rebuild the church as a symbol of the
rebirth of Ukrainian culture and not of religion. She
told RFE/RL:
"As long as this conflict between confessions
continues, the Uspensky cathedral will remain a state
possession. After a united and single orthodox church
is recognized, we will decide whether to hand it over
to the church or keep it under control of the state as a
museum. That will be decided when the church finds a
common language. I can guarantee that, until then,
neither confession will get this cathedral." Few expect
that to be soon. President Kuchma has spoken out in
support of church unification, and the Patriarch of
Constantinople has also said he would like to see an
independent Ukrainian church. But the Russian
church has refused even to consider the idea.
So, while the outer building is finished, the interior of
the Uspensky cathedral is still awaiting completion. It
remains a beautiful shell without an owner, less a
symbol perhaps of Ukrainian cultural rebirth than of
its modern-day crisis of national identity. And
Ukrainian believers continue to turn to alternative
churches.
Copyright (c) 2000 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the
permission of Radio FreeEurope/Radio Liberty, 1201
Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
holym...@my-deja.com
Fr. Kalashnikov of Kursk and Kharkov
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