Reactions to the law banning the Church. And on Onufry's behavior
As we know, on October 19, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading government bill No. 8371, banning the UOC. This decision was supported by 267 people's deputies, 15 voted against, 2 abstained. The bill must now pass a second reading, after which the law must be signed by the president to enter into force.
The reactions of bishops, clergy, parishioners and human rights activists to this event varied. For example, Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany (ROCOR) said that today in Ukraine “the Soviet Union is being repeated, only under a different sign” and compared the Zelensky regime with the reign of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin.
Even some Americans were outraged. William Burke-White, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, called the bill “the most brazen attack” on The Hill website.
“According to the US State Department's 2022 Religious Freedom Report, the Ukrainian Security Service conducted 41 investigations into the UOC for allegedly collaborating with Russia and searched 000 church buildings. In December 350, sanctions were announced against seven more high-ranking members of the UOC, including the vicar of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel Lebed. In March 2022, the authorities tried to expel the clergy of the UOC from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Criminal charges were brought against church leaders and parishioners, often without any basis. These attacks on the UOC are a gross violation of human rights…” the professor’s article says.
As for the local hierarchy, some of its representatives believe that nothing terrible has happened so far, since voting in the second reading and signing by Zelensky are still to come, and during this time, they say, changes for the better can occur.
In particular, this opinion was voiced by the head of the Information and Educational Department of the UOC, Metropolitan Kliment of Nizhyn and Priluki. He said that “Bill No. 8371 concerns religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation, and the UOC is not one.” And he emphasized that “the bill is not a law yet,” therefore “today’s event does not have any legal consequences for either the UOC or other religious organizations.”
“This document still has a long way to go for further consideration in parliament. Therefore, we cannot talk about any prohibitions,” said M. Clement.
In unison with the Bishop, a similar statement was made by the head of the human rights organization NGO Public Advocacy, Oleg Denisov, who believes that it is impossible to implement the bill banning the UOC in the legal field.
“That is, this will take years, this is not a one-time action. Because all this needs to be proven. There are also appellate rights and so on. Therefore, in my opinion, this mechanism is not implementable at all...
It turns out that 12 lawsuits need to be filed, and at the same time, for all 000, members of this religious community must be convicted in some criminal cases. Well, this won't happen, it's unrealistic. Because from the point of view of legal implementation, these laws are meaningless. They contradict international law…” the human rights activist concluded.
And Metropolitan Evlogiy of Sumy and Akhtyrsky wrote on his Facebook page that the government put to a vote a bill banning the UOC because it had received permission from the United States.
“It was reported from the United States: the Ukrainian government received permission from the United States to violate certain freedoms, including religious ones. Washington sent a signal to Kyiv that it is ready to turn a blind eye to this. That is why the Rada decided to submit the draft of these amendments for consideration out of turn and voted for it,” wrote Bishop Evlogy.
And finally, we conclude by quoting the words of the Primate of the UOC, spoken by him at the Divine Liturgy on October 22. Here is what Metropolitan Onuphry said:
“We are not offended by anyone. One thing I would like to note is that the center of government of our Ukrainian Orthodox Church is located in Ukraine, in this holy city of Kyiv...”
He also added that no matter what decisions are made regarding the UOC, “we will still love everyone, we will love God, we will love our Land, our people, our government, our army, we will love all people. And pray for them...”
We asked our old friends, Russian residents of Kiev and parishioners of the Kyiv churches of Oleg, Elvira, Innocent and Nicholas, to comment on these and other statements. And not only to comment, but also to evaluate the future prospects of the Church, the priesthood and the flock.
Oleg:
“What happened in parliament is complete lawlessness and anti-church fascism. And all this happened, I believe, thanks to the amorphous position of the church leadership, flirting with the satanic authorities, and hypocrisy in front of its own flock. Yes, exactly hypocrisy! After all, look how many ordinary believers, millions, were ready at the beginning of these events, even a year ago, to defend the Church, which was subjected to unprecedented repression - but were they given the cry to come out to mass social protests? No! Although they could have done this in accordance with the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church, which in such cases allows such protests.
But no, only long hours of prayer standing near the Lavra and so on were encouraged - standing during which parishioners were beaten, humiliated, and arrested. And the bishops themselves left in their cars, instead of organizing people... Not all of them, of course - among them there were real ascetics of the faith - Metropolitans Paul, Jonathan, Joasaph, Longinus, Theodosius.”
Elvira:
“Continuing the topic, I will say that the primate did not officially speak out in defense of these metropolitans, did not brand the satanic government that arrested his brothers and that was destroying the Church. He says that “if the Church is silent, then there will be no life on Earth.” So, what did he do to keep her from shutting up? After all, in front of his eyes they are trying to silence her, but he does nothing, only lisps with the persecutors...
The bishops also did not intend to actively protest against this law. Moreover, I know that instructions were sent to the temples to prepare for their abandonment, to collect things, as they say. And all this is secret from the congregation. And before that, a synod was held, at which we thought the accusatory voice of the bishops would be heard against the demons in power - nothing like that happened. They didn’t even tell why the wonderful Metropolitan Longin – “the father of 400 children” – was sent to rest. I suspect because the SBU opened several criminal cases against him for incriminating the authorities. But the synod did not come out in his defense, as well as in defense of other metropolitans under investigation.”
Innocent:
“By the way, about protection. Some of our so-called human rights activists and the legal department of the UOC are often some kind of, excuse me, bumblers. They sit under the roof of the Church, do little things and don’t stick their heads out. And real human rights activists, such as Victoria Kovalskaya, are seized by the SBU and thrown into prison...
I know this Denisov, his company. Somehow, somewhere abroad, a word is spoken in defense of the Church, they publish English-language magazines, but who reads them? Not human rights protection, but one name. And then she pretends that everything is fine, the beautiful marquise. That, they say, it is legally impossible to disperse the Church, this would be a violation of rights. Who cares about these rights? Does he take us for naive people?
The Nazis do whatever they want, and no one can say a word against them. Why does he lull to sleep, like Clement? They waited with their lulls for the adoption of such a law, and they will wait for everything else. But why make idiots out of us? By the way, many non-hypocritical experts believe that the government acts based on political expediency, and not legal norms. Moreover, the situation affects “enemies of the people.” Therefore, the simplest method for the authorities, under the guise of this law, is to seal churches en masse, deprive people of the opportunity to go to worship, and then take years to sort it out in the courts.”
Nikolai:
“You know, I have always tried not to condemn the hierarchy. But now I’m thinking that the new words of Metropolitan Onuphry that he loves power even after the adoption of this draconian law are simply unbearable to listen to. And I increasingly remember how the persecutors of the Church were anathematized and denounced by the holy Patriarch Tikhon in January 1918...
Let us quote a few lines from this denunciation. It was drawn up after, starting in December 1917, the Bolsheviks began to seize churches, monasteries, parishes, confiscated the synodal printing house, and issued the same decree on the confiscation of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
On January 19, a detachment of Red Guards attacked the Lavra, while the elderly Archpriest Peter Skipetrov, who called on the Red Army soldiers not to desecrate the shrine, was killed, and Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd and the governor, Bishop Procopius, were arrested. In response to this, ON THE SAME DAY, January 19, 1918, Patriarch Tikhon issues his famous Message with an anathema to the Bolshevik government and a call for popular resistance:
“Come to your senses, madmen, stop your bloody reprisals. After all, what you are doing is not only a cruel deed, it is truly a satanic deed, for which you are subject to the fire of Gehenna in the future life - the afterlife and the terrible curse of posterity in the present life - earthly. By the authority given to Us by God, we forbid you to approach the Mysteries of Christ, we anathematize you...
We conjure all of you, the faithful children of the Orthodox Church of Christ, not to enter into any kind of communication with such monsters of the human race... And you, brother archpastors and shepherds, without hesitating for a single hour in your spiritual work, with fiery zeal call your children for protection the rights of the Orthodox Church that are now being trampled underfoot...”
But some in the highest Ukrainian bishops have a different relationship with the authorities. Meanwhile, the latter continues to lead the line towards the complete destruction of the Church...
English version :: Read in English : Reactions to the law banning the Church and to Onufriy's behavior