Orthodox leaders headed for a showdown over Ukraine

Catholic Culture ^ | Jul 24, 2018 | Phil Lawler

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Most Catholic Americans, I realize, rarely pay attention to the debates among the world’s Orthodox believers. Those debates are constant, and we Catholics have enough problems of our own. But the future of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church could have enormous implications for the cause of Christian unity.

The question, stated simply, is whether the Ukrainian Orthodox Church should be recognized as autocephalous—that is, self-governing—rather than as a province of the Russian Orthodox Church. Bear in mind that Ukraine is now engaged in a struggle to preserve its independence from Russia—a struggle with obvious implications here.

In Ukraine, about 70% of the population identifies with the Orthodox Church and the churches are often full... If the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were detached from Moscow, it would no longer be clear that the Russian Orthodox Church could claim the greatest number of Orthodox believers. In terms of actual practice, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church might be larger.

Perhaps the most significant statement made on the question this summer has emerged from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which—in defense of its authority to settle the issue—remarked that the Church in Kiev was established, and recognized by Constantinople, before the Patriarchate of Moscow was established. After all it was at Kiev, in 988, that the “Baptism of the Rus’” established Christianity in the Slavic lands.

In fact, the Ecumenical Patriarchate observed, Constantinople only recognized the transfer of the patriarchate from Kiev to Moscow in the 17th century, and “never ceded the territory of Ukraine to anyone.”

That statement from Constantinople appears to be a flat rejection of Moscow’s claim that Ukraine lies within its “canonical jurisdiction,” and therefore a warning that the Ecumenical Patriarchate may be ready to recognize an autocephalous Ukrainian Church. Would that decision trigger a serious split between the world’s most influential Orthodox leaders?

[CondoleezzaProtege]

If Moscow's patriarchate weren't so politically tied to the Kremlin, this wouldn't be as much of an issue. But maybe church history needs some serious revisiting regardless.

[AdmSmith]

It seems that the decision is made:
http://euromaidanpress.com/2018/09/02/ecumenical-patriarch-to-grant-ukrainian-orthodox-autocephaly-greek-church-source-says/

The indication is seen in the 33 sec video here https://www.unian.info/politics/10245285-who-was-supposed-to-get-the-glass-video-from-constantinople-talks-raises-questions-amid-novichok-fears.html