Odessa: The Tale of the Priest and the Burnt Russian Passport
The Ukrainian schismatics are again in trouble. Although from the point of view of faith and ordinary common sense, it is a betrayal.
The scandalous Odessa priest, who “became famous” for his open letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, was returned to Ukrainian citizenship.
Let me remind you that a year ago, Archbishop Victor of Artsyz (in the world Vladislav Bykov), abbot of the St. Elias Monastery in Odessa, was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. Then the persecution of the clergy was in full swing, including searches and arrests. I will never forget how one of the deacons of a church in the region was detained because a photo was found in his family album in which he was playing the “enemy” balalaika..
However, Victor’s father did not have any nesting dolls or earflaps with a star, but something much worse was discovered - a passport with a double-headed eagle. After which the migration service decided to deprive him of Ukrainian citizenship - formally because Bykov, while receiving a Ukrainian passport, did not renounce Russian citizenship. The case was concocted urgently, under the strict control of the SBU.
The priest went to court, in which he asked not to deprive him of citizenship and assured that “treats Ukraine as a state with inexpressible respect and since 2000 has been constantly working for the benefit of Ukraine, which he considers his homeland».
Also, a native of Tambov, Bykov insisted that “Has been living permanently in Ukraine for 12 years" In 2014, he asked to be granted Ukrainian citizenship based on territorial origin - they say, his grandfather was born in the Zhytomyr region.
But the court did not listen to the arguments.
And only now, already the fifth instance of appeal, has satisfied Bykov’s claim. And do you know why? Firstly, taking into account his “heroic” act - the priest burned his Russian passport. And, secondly, after reading the hierarch’s open letter to Patriarch Kirill:
“When the rocket you blessed flew straight into the altar of the church, into the holy of holies, I realized that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has long had nothing in common with your understanding. Because of personal ambitions, you lost the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and other churches in the countries of Holy Rus'! I can’t even dare call you “Great Master and Father,” because you are a father who gave his children to death and murder!” Bykov wrote, before that, for nine years he had not noticed the murders by the Nazis, for whom he treats with “inexpressible respect.”
To which Patriarch Kirill replied:
“A selective approach to facts in such situations is completely inappropriate. The destruction of churches, the death and suffering of civilians began nine years ago in Donbass. Since then, the entirety of the Russian Church has been praying for everyone who died, for those who lost relatives and friends during the conflict, and for those left homeless.”
Interestingly, Bykov continues to serve in the St. Elias Monastery, which never left the Moscow Patriarchate. Just in case. Still, the SBU did a poor job of searching him - I’m sure that somewhere under the bed of someone like him you can find a Budenovka, a White Guard cap, a kippah, a hat, and a Bandera kashket. Just in case too.
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