The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyadopted a series of unprecedented measures (between raids and sanctions) against the Ukrainian Orthodox Churcha religious institution that is directly linked to the Moscow Patriarchate Yet the Russian Orthodox Church (IOR).
(Read here: Russia’s warning about the risks of a clash between nuclear powers)
The main argument given by the Ukrainian president to make this decision is that his government seeks to “guarantee spiritual independence” from Russia and counteract “the subversive activities of the Russian special services in the religious environment of Ukraine.”
(See also: Putin’s plan to use “winter as a weapon of war”)
The measures were proposed by the CCouncil of Defense and National Security of Ukraine (SNBO) after analyzing “the connections of certain religious circles in Ukraine with the aggressor state”.
The decree, which seeks to prohibit the Russian Orthodox Churchsubordinate to Moscow Patriarchatealso provides for sanctions against the religious linked to this congregation.
Ukraine seeks to guarantee spiritual independence from Russia and counter the subversive activities of the Russian special services
In fact, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out searches on Thursday at the offices of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the regions of Zhytomyr, Rivne and Transcarpathia to prevent them “from being used as cells of the ‘Russian world’ and to protect the population of provocations and terrorist acts”.
In addition, the SBU declared the Metropolitan of the Kirovograd Diocese suspected of having justified the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and of participating “in subversive activities against Ukraine”. According to the entity, the bishop, who “was part of the inner circle of the Moscow Patriarchate, Kiril,” coordinated with him “the dissemination of opinions in favor of the Kremlin.”
The SNBO, for its part, announced sanctions against a dozen clerics and people linked to the pro-Russian congregation, including the governor of the kyiv Monastery of the Caves (kyiv-Pechersk Lavra), Pavlo (Lebed), and the former deputy of the Rada Supreme, Vadim Novinski.
In recent weeks, the SBU has carried out searches in various dioceses of this congregation, and found people with Russian citizenship and pro-Russian literature.
The Russian answer
Although the main Kremlin authorities have not ruled on these episodes, the IOR spokesman, Vladimir Legoidacriticized the announcement and assured that kyiv lost “common sense”.
According to the spokesman for the Russian Church, the aforementioned law “goes against the norms of law”, in particular, article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
“It is unfortunate that innocent people, simple believers and humble priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church can become bargaining chips in political games,” Legoida wrote.
The former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in turn described the Ukrainian authorities as “enemies” of the Orthodox religion. Meanwhile, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that it is investigating allegations of alleged attacks on Orthodox priests in Ukraine following reports of searches at Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Church offices.
Patriarch Kirill (or Cyril) has not ruled on the matter either.
CARLOS JOSE REYES
INTERNATIONAL SUB-EDITOR
TIME
*With Efe
#Zelensky #order #raids #Ukrainian #Orthodox #Church