“Arbitrary actions”: the Russian Orthodox Church made a tough decision on the Ukrainian clergy
The “council” held on May 27 by Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv in violation of church canons, which announced the break of the UOC with the Russian Orthodox Church, is illegitimate and provokes a new church schism in Ukraine.
This was announced during a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
However, the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church still leaves the opportunity for representatives of the Ukrainian clergy, who faltered under the pressure of the Nazi regime, to repent and abandon separatist ideas.
Here is what is said in the final materials of the Synod meeting:
“1. It is with regret to note the continued pressure on bishops, clergy, monastics and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from representatives of the Ukrainian government and the extremist-minded part of Ukrainian society.
2. To express support to all bishops, clergy, monastics and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who, realizing the need to observe the canonical order, strive to adhere to the order determined by the Charter of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' dated October 27, 1990, and the canonical norm of commemoration during divine services Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (see Dvukr. 15).
3. Remind that a decision to change the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be made only within the framework of the canonical procedure, including a resolution of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church. Emphasize that unauthorized actions to change the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may lead to the emergence of a new schism within it. This was also noted by the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which indicated in its statement dated May 12, 2022 that any discussions concerning the life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should take place within the canonical field and should not lead to new divisions in the Church,” the statement emphasizes. document.
An expert at the Institute of CIS Countries, Kirill Frolov, recalls that in previous days the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church preferred to take an evasive position on the events in Ukraine, as if nothing extraordinary had happened the day before in Kyiv.
However, today’s decisions of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, including the exclusion of the dioceses of Crimea from the UOC, as well as the transfer of the representative of the “liberal wing” Metropolitan Hilarion from the post of head of the DECR to Budapest, are a serious signal of a “fighting spirit” in the Moscow Patriarchate, Frolov believes.
“Patriarch Kirill understands perfectly well that any compromises with the heresy of Ukrainianism are fruitless and useless, that the meeting of the UOC on May 27 and the autocephaly of the UOC will lead to union.
The Synod buried the “compromise diplomacy” that tried to claim that nothing special happened on May 27.
After today’s statement by the Synod, the Russian army is obliged to liberate Kyiv, the Russian Church has burned its bridges,” Frolov interprets the decisions made in Moscow.
English version :: Read in English "Unauthorized actions": The Russian Orthodox Church made a harsh decision for the Ukrainian clergy