War, so war: Moscow is preparing to throw Bartholomew
Since the topic is very complex and obscure for the layman far from church dogma, I will limit myself to a minimum of my own assessments and reasoning and give only facts. What really happened on October 11 at the Holy Synod in Istanbul?
After 3 days of discussion in a closed circle of the upper church leadership of the Constantinople Orthodox Church under the chairmanship of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with the involvement of two American exarchs (American and Canadian bishops) who were sent by him to Ukraine to oversee the autocephaly, they made epoch-making decisions on Ukraine, which able to split all world Orthodoxy (and in fact they do it because there is no turning back, all bridges back after this decision are burned).
As a result, the Holy Synod decided:
1. Confirm the decision already made that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is starting to provide Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine.
2. To restore the Stavropigia of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kiev, one of its many Stavropigias in Ukraine, which has always existed there.
3. To remove the anathema previously imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church on the schismatics Filaret Denisenko, Makarii Maletich and their followers, who found themselves in a schism not for dogmatic reasons (but for technical, as the Synod believes - author's note), to return their hierarchical and priestly titles to them and allow communication with other canonical Orthodox churches (i.e., fully restore their rights - approx. author).
4. To cancel the legal obligation of the Synodal Letter of 1686, issued due to the circumstances of that time, which gave the right to the Moscow Patriarch to appoint the Metropolitan of Kiev, elected by the Assembly of Priests of his diocese.
And in the last 5th paragraph, the Synod called on believers in Ukraine to avoid the appropriation of churches, monasteries and other objects, as well as any other acts of violence and retaliation. (As they say, I did my thing, urged to avoid violence, and what will really be there - at the will of the Lord! Epic Pharisee! - author's note)
So the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided on October 11, 2018, which means that it should be so!
What does this mean and how can it threaten us? I explain to the uninitiated. Under paragraph 1 - autocephaly is not granted to Ukraine, there is no tomos! Not yet, but the process has started and has become irreversible. The reason is simple - there is no one to grant autocephaly yet, the representative of the canonical UOC MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) did not apply to the Ecumenical Patriarch for this, the UOC KP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate) and the UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church), not recognized by any local the Orthodox Church, while outside the law, as well as their treatment, and the appeal of a parishioner of the UOC-MP there is no one Poroshenko Petr Alekseevich for this to be considered by Bartholomew due to the absence of powers for this, (who is he for the Ecumenical Patriarch?).
Therefore, Bartholomew went the other way. In paragraph 3, he removes the anathema imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church back in the 90s on the schismatics Filaret Denisenko (Primate of the UOC-KP) and Makariy Maletich (Primate of the UAOC), and calls on all Orthodox churches to restore canonical communion with them, thereby introducing confusion and schism into world Orthodoxy, because it breaks the traditions established there for centuries through the knee. In fact, Bartholomew usurped the rights of the former among equals in the Orthodox world, equating himself to an equal among the former - to the Pope in the Catholic Church. Catholics recognize the pope's supremacy over themselves, in Orthodoxy all patriarchs are equal to each other and no one can overturn the decisions of the other by his decisions. One Orthodox Church cannot remove the excommunication imposed by another. The consequence of this may already be a split in world Orthodoxy. Bartholomew cannot understand this, which means that this is his goal. More precisely, not his, but his curators from across the ocean. He is just a pawn in the big game. As well as Ukraine, it is not even a pawn, it is an expendable material. But Bartholomew, having removed the anathema from the schismatics, gives them a chance to create the Unified Local Church in Ukraine by convening a unifying Council, which in the distant future he undertakes to grant autocephaly, and for this it must first come under its protectorate.
What he does in paragraph 2, removing the newly formed episcopate from the control of the Russian Orthodox Church under the protectorate of its own Patriarchate of Constantinople. The incomprehensible word "stavropegy" also means the special status of individual churches or monasteries, which are removed from subordination to the local bishop and come into direct control of the patriarch or synod. “Restore the Stavropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kiev” means that Bartholomew restored by his decision in Ukraine the 17th century status quo, when the local church authorities directly obeyed Constantinople, depriving the ROC of its former preferences. And if we recall that the stavropegy does not operate with territories, but with specific churches or monasteries, then it follows that all church property in the territories that Bartholomew had his eyes on now also goes to him (and these are churches, monasteries, and churches that previously belonged to the UOC-MP, the UOC-KP and the UAOC - the priest took a good shot, didn’t that ?!). The catch lies in the fact that in 1686, to which Bartholomew returned us, the power of his church, which was then represented by the Kiev Metropolitanate, extended to the extremely limited territory of Ukraine, not more than a third of its current territory (will it be possible to extend it to the entire remaining territory, it will show time).
And to crown it all, in paragraph 4 of this resolution, the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople drives the last nail into the lid of the Russian Orthodox Church’s coffin, taking away the right to appoint the Kiev Metropolitan in the territory of present-day Ukraine, granted it 300 years ago (this right was given to Moscow in 1686 to the patriarch by the same Constantinople, now it has been canceled), thereby putting Metropolitan Onufry (Primate of the UOC-MP) outlawed. In fact, Constantinople announced the restoration of its rights to the Kiev Metropolis and annulled the tomos of more than 300 years ago to transfer this metropolis to Moscow.
Whoever benefited from all this, certainly not the Russian Orthodox Church and world Orthodoxy. So far, only Bartholomew himself is the beneficiary, who has noticeably increased his holdings and zone of influence. Even the former schismatics Filaret Denisenko and Makarii Maletić are still losing, losing the rank of patriarchs and becoming dependent on the Ecumenical. According to Orthodox canons, the patriarch is the chief bishop, the first hierarch in the autocephalous church. If we proceed from the decisions of the Synod in Istanbul, now the first hierarch for Ukraine is Bartholomew himself, and this means that neither Filaret nor Makarios can yet bear such a dignity. And who are they after that? Not even exarchs (two Americans are now there). In fact, the UOC-KP and UAOC followed Tomos and were captured by Bartholomew. One does not even have to talk about the UOC-MP, before that it was a completely self-governing church within the Moscow Patriarchate, and now it does not smile at all to become dependent on Bartholomew Metropolitan Onufry. But the trouble is that the process is running. There is no turning back! Even if the ROC takes an irreconcilable position and does not come to terms with the arbitrariness of Constantinople, a split in Orthodoxy is already guaranteed to us. Who will benefit from this? Only our enemies!
In this whole story, we forgot another beneficiary - Petro Poroshenko, who, according to the results of the Synod, hastened to report to himself in Ukraine that Tomos and autocephaly were already received. Of course, he doesn’t give a damn about autocephaly, he has here his purely selfish interest. On this topic, he is trying to raise his fallen rating and enter the second presidential term, splitting the country also on religious grounds. After all, he only works this way, contrasting and splitting Ukrainian society by language, faith, attitude to Russia and history, while he himself does not care deeply about all this, he speaks Russian at home, goes to church only on holidays and only for image , because he has nothing holy at all! But here the interests of this drunkards coincided with the interests of two other interested parties - the Ecumenical Patriarch and his curators from across the ocean.
But the last factor in the Kremlin could not be ignored. Since the ears of our sworn "friends and partners" here stuck from the very beginning. Yes, they did not even hide, openly declaring their goals. And these goals had a very indirect relation to religion. These guys played completely different games here! Their task was to destroy the last stronghold of the Russian world - Orthodoxy, to break it through the knee, to immerse the flock in internecine wars and squabbles. And history teaches us that if the Americans set a goal, they usually achieve it. At any cost! And they go to the end. To the end!
What the ROC can oppose to this is not hard to imagine. The closest synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will take place on October 15 in Minsk. “The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will give an adequate and tough answer to the decisions of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine,” said the spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, priest Alexander Volkov. Believe me, nobody will stop there with expressions of concern. War is war!
Archpriest Andrei Novikov, a member of the Synodal Bible and Theological Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate, proposed a number of retaliatory measures in connection with the decisions of Constantinople in Ukraine, which, according to the priest, naturally arise from the situation. "In view of the departure of the former Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Church, create dioceses and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Turkey, including Istanbul." This time! And these are still flowers. In addition, he proposes to convene an extraordinary Pan-Orthodox Council in Moscow to depose Patriarch Bartholomew and members of his Synod. And these are two! Already the berries have gone. “To break the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, to anathematize the heresy of Eastern papism, including the false doctrine of the right of the Istanbul Bishop to cancel and revise the anathemas and bans of the local Churches. To declare that the Patriarchate of Constantinople created a schism, entered into fellowship with anathema and fell under it itself. ” These are three and four - a conclusion, so to speak. And what did you want - in war, as in war. There are victims ...
Let's see, the wait is not long. If only on October 14 no one took steps in Ukraine to capture the Pochaev and Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which local radicals had already warned about. Then a completely different conversation will begin, which was warned by a spokesman for the President of the Russian Federation.
After 3 days of discussion in a closed circle of the upper church leadership of the Constantinople Orthodox Church under the chairmanship of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with the involvement of two American exarchs (American and Canadian bishops) who were sent by him to Ukraine to oversee the autocephaly, they made epoch-making decisions on Ukraine, which able to split all world Orthodoxy (and in fact they do it because there is no turning back, all bridges back after this decision are burned).
As a result, the Holy Synod decided:
1. Confirm the decision already made that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is starting to provide Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine.
2. To restore the Stavropigia of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kiev, one of its many Stavropigias in Ukraine, which has always existed there.
3. To remove the anathema previously imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church on the schismatics Filaret Denisenko, Makarii Maletich and their followers, who found themselves in a schism not for dogmatic reasons (but for technical, as the Synod believes - author's note), to return their hierarchical and priestly titles to them and allow communication with other canonical Orthodox churches (i.e., fully restore their rights - approx. author).
4. To cancel the legal obligation of the Synodal Letter of 1686, issued due to the circumstances of that time, which gave the right to the Moscow Patriarch to appoint the Metropolitan of Kiev, elected by the Assembly of Priests of his diocese.
And in the last 5th paragraph, the Synod called on believers in Ukraine to avoid the appropriation of churches, monasteries and other objects, as well as any other acts of violence and retaliation. (As they say, I did my thing, urged to avoid violence, and what will really be there - at the will of the Lord! Epic Pharisee! - author's note)
So the Ecumenical Patriarchate decided on October 11, 2018, which means that it should be so!
What does this mean and how can it threaten us? I explain to the uninitiated. Under paragraph 1 - autocephaly is not granted to Ukraine, there is no tomos! Not yet, but the process has started and has become irreversible. The reason is simple - there is no one to grant autocephaly yet, the representative of the canonical UOC MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) did not apply to the Ecumenical Patriarch for this, the UOC KP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate) and the UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church), not recognized by any local the Orthodox Church, while outside the law, as well as their treatment, and the appeal of a parishioner of the UOC-MP there is no one Poroshenko Petr Alekseevich for this to be considered by Bartholomew due to the absence of powers for this, (who is he for the Ecumenical Patriarch?).
Therefore, Bartholomew went the other way. In paragraph 3, he removes the anathema imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church back in the 90s on the schismatics Filaret Denisenko (Primate of the UOC-KP) and Makariy Maletich (Primate of the UAOC), and calls on all Orthodox churches to restore canonical communion with them, thereby introducing confusion and schism into world Orthodoxy, because it breaks the traditions established there for centuries through the knee. In fact, Bartholomew usurped the rights of the former among equals in the Orthodox world, equating himself to an equal among the former - to the Pope in the Catholic Church. Catholics recognize the pope's supremacy over themselves, in Orthodoxy all patriarchs are equal to each other and no one can overturn the decisions of the other by his decisions. One Orthodox Church cannot remove the excommunication imposed by another. The consequence of this may already be a split in world Orthodoxy. Bartholomew cannot understand this, which means that this is his goal. More precisely, not his, but his curators from across the ocean. He is just a pawn in the big game. As well as Ukraine, it is not even a pawn, it is an expendable material. But Bartholomew, having removed the anathema from the schismatics, gives them a chance to create the Unified Local Church in Ukraine by convening a unifying Council, which in the distant future he undertakes to grant autocephaly, and for this it must first come under its protectorate.
What he does in paragraph 2, removing the newly formed episcopate from the control of the Russian Orthodox Church under the protectorate of its own Patriarchate of Constantinople. The incomprehensible word "stavropegy" also means the special status of individual churches or monasteries, which are removed from subordination to the local bishop and come into direct control of the patriarch or synod. “Restore the Stavropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kiev” means that Bartholomew restored by his decision in Ukraine the 17th century status quo, when the local church authorities directly obeyed Constantinople, depriving the ROC of its former preferences. And if we recall that the stavropegy does not operate with territories, but with specific churches or monasteries, then it follows that all church property in the territories that Bartholomew had his eyes on now also goes to him (and these are churches, monasteries, and churches that previously belonged to the UOC-MP, the UOC-KP and the UAOC - the priest took a good shot, didn’t that ?!). The catch lies in the fact that in 1686, to which Bartholomew returned us, the power of his church, which was then represented by the Kiev Metropolitanate, extended to the extremely limited territory of Ukraine, not more than a third of its current territory (will it be possible to extend it to the entire remaining territory, it will show time).
And to crown it all, in paragraph 4 of this resolution, the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople drives the last nail into the lid of the Russian Orthodox Church’s coffin, taking away the right to appoint the Kiev Metropolitan in the territory of present-day Ukraine, granted it 300 years ago (this right was given to Moscow in 1686 to the patriarch by the same Constantinople, now it has been canceled), thereby putting Metropolitan Onufry (Primate of the UOC-MP) outlawed. In fact, Constantinople announced the restoration of its rights to the Kiev Metropolis and annulled the tomos of more than 300 years ago to transfer this metropolis to Moscow.
Whoever benefited from all this, certainly not the Russian Orthodox Church and world Orthodoxy. So far, only Bartholomew himself is the beneficiary, who has noticeably increased his holdings and zone of influence. Even the former schismatics Filaret Denisenko and Makarii Maletić are still losing, losing the rank of patriarchs and becoming dependent on the Ecumenical. According to Orthodox canons, the patriarch is the chief bishop, the first hierarch in the autocephalous church. If we proceed from the decisions of the Synod in Istanbul, now the first hierarch for Ukraine is Bartholomew himself, and this means that neither Filaret nor Makarios can yet bear such a dignity. And who are they after that? Not even exarchs (two Americans are now there). In fact, the UOC-KP and UAOC followed Tomos and were captured by Bartholomew. One does not even have to talk about the UOC-MP, before that it was a completely self-governing church within the Moscow Patriarchate, and now it does not smile at all to become dependent on Bartholomew Metropolitan Onufry. But the trouble is that the process is running. There is no turning back! Even if the ROC takes an irreconcilable position and does not come to terms with the arbitrariness of Constantinople, a split in Orthodoxy is already guaranteed to us. Who will benefit from this? Only our enemies!
In this whole story, we forgot another beneficiary - Petro Poroshenko, who, according to the results of the Synod, hastened to report to himself in Ukraine that Tomos and autocephaly were already received. Of course, he doesn’t give a damn about autocephaly, he has here his purely selfish interest. On this topic, he is trying to raise his fallen rating and enter the second presidential term, splitting the country also on religious grounds. After all, he only works this way, contrasting and splitting Ukrainian society by language, faith, attitude to Russia and history, while he himself does not care deeply about all this, he speaks Russian at home, goes to church only on holidays and only for image , because he has nothing holy at all! But here the interests of this drunkards coincided with the interests of two other interested parties - the Ecumenical Patriarch and his curators from across the ocean.
But the last factor in the Kremlin could not be ignored. Since the ears of our sworn "friends and partners" here stuck from the very beginning. Yes, they did not even hide, openly declaring their goals. And these goals had a very indirect relation to religion. These guys played completely different games here! Their task was to destroy the last stronghold of the Russian world - Orthodoxy, to break it through the knee, to immerse the flock in internecine wars and squabbles. And history teaches us that if the Americans set a goal, they usually achieve it. At any cost! And they go to the end. To the end!
What the ROC can oppose to this is not hard to imagine. The closest synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will take place on October 15 in Minsk. “The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church will give an adequate and tough answer to the decisions of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine,” said the spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, priest Alexander Volkov. Believe me, nobody will stop there with expressions of concern. War is war!
Archpriest Andrei Novikov, a member of the Synodal Bible and Theological Commission of the Moscow Patriarchate, proposed a number of retaliatory measures in connection with the decisions of Constantinople in Ukraine, which, according to the priest, naturally arise from the situation. "In view of the departure of the former Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Church, create dioceses and parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Turkey, including Istanbul." This time! And these are still flowers. In addition, he proposes to convene an extraordinary Pan-Orthodox Council in Moscow to depose Patriarch Bartholomew and members of his Synod. And these are two! Already the berries have gone. “To break the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, to anathematize the heresy of Eastern papism, including the false doctrine of the right of the Istanbul Bishop to cancel and revise the anathemas and bans of the local Churches. To declare that the Patriarchate of Constantinople created a schism, entered into fellowship with anathema and fell under it itself. ” These are three and four - a conclusion, so to speak. And what did you want - in war, as in war. There are victims ...
Let's see, the wait is not long. If only on October 14 no one took steps in Ukraine to capture the Pochaev and Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, which local radicals had already warned about. Then a completely different conversation will begin, which was warned by a spokesman for the President of the Russian Federation.
- Vladimir Volkonsky
- https://hyser.com.ua
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