Mother Church meets Daughter Church in Ukraine – A ray of Hope
By Sergeij Bychkov
In May 1994, I met Archbishop Michael (Mudyugin), a prominent Russian Theology professor at The St. Petersburg Theological Academy. During an interview he said that "talking about Orthodoxy, one can say that it finds itself in a state of illness. And this is not only my opinion. As early as 1960, while I was in Geneva, I heard these words from one figure from the Church of Constantinople who was in those days representing the Patriarchate of Constantinople at the World Council of Churches. This bishop told me: ‘Orthodoxy is sick!’ And even then, I agreed with him. Nowadays - all the more!"
His Eminence, Archbishop Michael, was an open-minded and far-sighted Christian. Recent events in Moscow, during the Bishops’ Convention last June, and in Ukraine in late July, confirmed his observation.
Fortunately, many primates have come to realize that not everything is running smoothly in Orthodoxy. I would like to especially remember two, recently departed from this world, Patriarch of Romania Theoktist, who had the courage to admit his collaboration with his country’s Secret Police (Securitate) and repent before his flock, and Archbishop Christodoulos from the Church of Greece, who appealed at the summer 2006 gathering of bishops in Moscow, calling them to repentance. Unfortunately, his message wasn’t even red at the summit.
It is my guess that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who came at the end of July in Kiev for a pastoral visit, understands the complexity of the problem.
The main event during his visit was the meeting with Patriarch of Moscow Alexy on July 27 in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Monastery. It wasn’t an easy meeting, since last time the two hierarchs met, was 11 years ago. What could have prevented their more frequent communication? Problems that have accumulated over the past 20 years between Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate the answer to this question is.
The Russian Diaspora abroad is growing steadily, only in the US live more than four million Russian-Americans nowadays. Large communities of Russians exist in Europe and even in the African continent as well. Some of them are being ministered by the Constantinople Patriarchate, mainly because this way they are free from the totalitarian past of the Moscow Patriarchate. Those churches are provided with greater freedom for their flock and many of them are willing to address social and Theological initiatives. At the same time, Moscow's anachronistic pastoral attitudes seek to drive them into rigid totalitarian frameworks, where they are in fear to discuss painful problems of long overdue. Therefore, Surozhskaya Diocese in London, the parishes of the Paris Exarchate and a number of the Estonian dioceses passed to the bosom of Constantinople.
Ukraine, which is now comprised of three Orthodox Churches (and one more, of the Uniats, Roman Catholics appearing as Orthodox), presents the most urgent of the problems. There has to start a meaningful and peaceful dialogue, an example of which was set in Constantinople, on July 14, when the Ecumenical Patriarch received representatives of UOC (KPs) (Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kievan Patriarchate) and UAOC (Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church).
The meeting of the two Patriarchs in Kiev was short but fruitful. It is necessary to pay tribute to the head of the Ukrainian Church, Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan), thanks to the initiative of whom, the meeting took place. No matter how painful it may have been for the delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate, it yielded good results. Patriarch Alexy said after the meeting that the two sides will set up a bilateral commission to resolve problems that have accumulated in recent years between the two Patriarchates. However, as English sociologist Parkinson aptly remarked "Do you want to bury the issue - establish a commission." Indeed, if the commission would include clergy diplomats from the Department for External Church Relations of Russia, Parkinson’s aphorism will be proved true once more. It would be more productive to organize not sporadic but periodical meetings between Orthodox hierarchs so as to communicate more frequently.
The Russian Church has always been proud of its catholicity (clergy and laity) in decision making. Today's conflict in Ossetia could certainly be resolved with a meeting of two patriarchs (of Moscow and Tbilisi). A Pan-Orthodox Synod with the indispensable participation of all primates of local churches is long overdue. But this requires persistent and painstaking work by bishops, priests and lay people, who must carefully prepare the agenda, define pressing problems and establish a Theological Commission for possible solutions. And you cannot have time restrictions. The Second Vatican Council met for four years. This is the only possible way out of the deep crisis, in which Orthodoxy finds itself today.
Dr. Sergeij Bychkov is a historian of the Russian Church and author of numerous books on the subject.
Editor’s Note
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew made his first-ever visit to the Ukraine on Friday, July 25, 2008, for celebrations marking the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Kievan-Rus to the Greek Orthodox Catholic Christian Faith. Bartholomew, accompanied by hiearchs and clergy from various Orthodox churches, arrived at Boryspil International Airport where he was received with Head of State honors by President Victor Yushchenko, members of his cabinet, an honorary guard and Ukranians in traditional outfit.
On Sunday, July 20, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the Archbishop of Athens and Greece Hieronymos, Arcbishop of Albania Anastassios, Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kiev and other hierarchs and clergy representing various Orthodox churches from all over the world. The Service was celebrated at the hill of St. Vladimir of Kiev.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, modern day Instanbul, dates back to the 1,100-year-old Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire, which collapsed when mainly Muslim Ottomans conquered the City in 1453. Ankara does not recognize Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's international role as the spiritual leader of hundreds of millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide. It rejects his use of the title "ecumenical," or universal, arguing instead that the patriarch is merely the spiritual leader of Istanbul's dwindling Orthodox community. Under various pretexts, reminiscent of Nazi methodology, successive Turkish governments have stripped the Ecumenical Patriarchate of most of its property, closed down its schools and other institutions in what appears to be a long term campaign to drive it to extinction.
During the official visit to Ukraine, President Victor Yushchenko awarded His All Holiness the country's highest decoration: the First Class Order Cross of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew thanked President Yushchenko saying, among else, “we consider this highest honor as honoring not so much the person of our Modesty but rather the very holy institution of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the martyred Throne of Constantinople, from which, a thousand twenty years ago, came to this country and to the great people of Ukraine the light of the Gospel, the Grace and the Truth.”
