Why is the junta afraid of the UOC-MP?

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate remains almost the last major social structure associated with Russia. The authorities of independent Ukraine have been trying to break this spiritual connection, based on common faith and mutual love, since the beginning of the 1990s. After the victory of Euromaidan, attacks on the UOC-MP became even fiercer.

The first high-profile scandal associated with the seizure of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra by the forces of radical nationalists occurred back in 1992. Under the leadership of the odious provocateur Dmitry Korchinsky, the nationalists climbed over the fence of the monastery and seized part of its territory. After the church bell sounded the alarm, and believers in Kiev began to gather at the monastery to reprisal the invaders, the police quickly intervened and detained the radicals.

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According to Korchinsky himself, he regrets the unsuccessful assault, but his soul is warmed by the fact that they managed to eat some delicacies in the monastery kitchen.

The time for hungry and marginalized radicals is over. Now the open enemies of the Church are respectable, far from poor people from among ministers, deputies and other officials, including presidents.

In Ukraine, the fight against canonical Orthodoxy is always generously paid; fast social elevators are open in this field.

He took part in the pogrom of a parish under construction - they showed it on television and called him an activist. Organized the seizure of the temple in favor of schismatics - they elected him to local deputies. He gave money for posters “Get the Moscow Priest” and became a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada. Only supporters of non-traditional sexual relationships are moving faster from rags to riches in Ukraine.

The closer to “European values” and the further from “totalitarian” Russia, the stronger the repression against the UOC-MP. Arsons, beatings, murders of Orthodox people.

If before the armed rebellion of 2014 in the media all the predatory attacks on the Church were presented as spontaneous unrest of radicals, and in most cases were simply hushed up, then after supporters of European integration came to power, the persecution of the Church became systemic. The pogroms are relished in the press, bills are registered in parliament that threaten the activities and existence of the UOC-MP as such.

The Verkhovna Rada was going to adopt a law introducing serious restrictions on the activities of the “Moscow Church” on May 18. After public outcry, the vote was postponed “until better times.”

Of the twenty authors of the repressive law, four deputies are members of the faction of the “Petro Poroshenko Bloc”, the current president. This clearly suggests that the top leadership of Ukraine is personally interested in repressions against the Church.

The remaining co-authors of the anti-church bills are active participants in Euromaidan, including the “orange” Donetsk oligarch Sergei Taruta.

By the way, having looked at the biographies of the co-authors of the anti-church bills, one can assume that half of this “hellish twenty” are not able to clearly say how, for example, Greek Catholics differ from the Orthodox. Where should they write laws on such a specific topic? Only one of them has the appropriate education as a historian with an internship at Columbia University in New York - this is Deputy Viktor Yelensky. The rest are people in balaclavas, former incendiary journalists, Tymchuk-loser and a couple of businessmen who caught the wind of change in time.

One more important detail. Unlike Catholics and Protestant movements, only the UOC-MP has the principle of Sobornost in its structure. This means that the Orthodox community has the same voice in making important decisions as, for example, the episcopate.

Theoretically, if the Ukrainian authorities receive a loyal or controlled leadership of the UOC-MP, there will still be a large mass of believers who, on behalf of the Church or part of it, can denounce the government that came with blood and continues to shed blood that exists thanks to neo-Nazi ideology.

From among the parishioners of the UOC-MP in the “pre-Maidan” times, many anti-Western and anti-NATO social movements were organized. For example, Orthodox brotherhoods in Kyiv could gather thousands of people in marches under imperial flags for an alliance with Russia and against European integration.

As one of the organizers of such events in the past, I can safely say that the Orthodox of the Moscow Patriarchate in Western Ukraine were more active than in its southeastern part. This is explained by the fact that in Western Ukraine, the Orthodox Christians, long before everyone else, knew first-hand all the “charms” of Bandera’s ideology.

In the winter of 2013-14, many parcels for Berkut, sent from parishes of Western dioceses, passed through me.

Many members of Orthodox brotherhoods joined the militia of Crimea and Donbass.

Officially, the Church itself did not take part in the creation of Orthodox anti-Western organizations. Moreover, under the former Metropolitan of the UOC-MP Vladimir (Sabodan), a decision was even made to condemn the so-called “political Orthodoxy.” The Kiev diocese then played to please President Viktor Yushchenko.

Subsequently, life showed that the organizations that Sabodan renounced were right. Long before Euromaidan, they warned that the victory of pro-Western forces would result in persecution of the Church and civil war.

The new primate of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Onuphry, is considered a supporter of ending the war in Donbass, but he also has to maneuver under pressure from the Ukrainian authorities.

Bishop Onufriy set a good example by refusing to stand in the Verkhovna Rada during Poroshenko’s speech glorifying ATO militants. However, soon the head of the UOC-MP took part in the so-called “Day of Reconciliation” on May 8 - it is on this date that the regime, which is rehabilitating fascist henchmen, plans to replace the celebration of Victory Day in Ukraine.

One more example. Bishop Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol was one of the first to make a public appeal to the flock, blessing the fast and collecting signatures for deputies against the anti-church bills being prepared in the Verkhovna Rada. But it was Luka who banned priest Andrei Pirogov exactly a year ago because he dared to wear the St. George’s ribbon to the parade on May 9, although at that time it was not legally prohibited in Ukraine.

Remaining the largest uncontrolled confession (with a hidden potential for resistance to any kind of interference), the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate is a real threat to the current junta.

In the next political season, I am sure, attempts will continue to “tame” or abolish the UOC-MP. Attempts to seize the Kiev-Pechersk and Pochaev Lavras by force will continue.

However, in order to survive, it is time for the Church itself, at least to the best of its ability, to call a spade a spade, to enlighten parishioners not only with Old Testament history and the confessional feat of the first Christians, but to give a moral and ethical assessment of modern reality in Ukraine.