Ukrainian Orthodox Church Under Pressure Amid Emergence of New Orthodox Patriarchate
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), formerly of the Moscow Patriarchate, is facing mounting pressure in Ukraine as a new Orthodox Patriarchate emerges. Although a bill to ban the UOC was rejected by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, the editors of Moscow’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta suggest that the UOC will continue to be targeted in order to promote the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). In response, another Orthodox patriarchate may become involved in Ukraine, potentially transforming the landscape of world Orthodoxy.
Recent remarks made by UOC head Metropolitan Kliment regarding church calendars have sparked speculation about the involvement of another patriarchate in Ukraine. The suggestion that Orthodox churches shift from the Gregorian calendar to the Julian calendar, labeled as a form of modernism originating from Turkey, has raised questions about Ukraine’s alignment with traditions rooted in Jerusalem and Bethlehem versus those associated with Turkey.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta speculates that the UOC may be planning to align itself with the Jerusalem Patriarchate, drawing on historical precedents when the Orthodox hierarchy in Ukraine was re-established by the Jerusalem Patriarchate in the seventeenth century. Notably, the Jerusalem Patriarchate supported the UOC against the OCU, potentially indicating a willingness to play a role in the current Ukrainian Orthodox landscape.
A potential collaboration between Moscow and Jerusalem could have significant implications for the Orthodox world. Both entities uphold conservative positions in Orthodoxy, countering the progressivism and active ecumenism espoused by Constantinople. Should the UOC secure a tomos from the Jerusalem Patriarchate with Moscow’s support, it could lead to a reordering of the Orthodox world into two blocs: a liberal one under Constantinople and a traditionalist one under Moscow and Jerusalem.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will navigate the pressures it faces and whether the emergence of a new Orthodox Patriarchate will indeed reshape the world of Orthodoxy. The complex interplay between various Orthodox entities and the potential division of Eastern Orthodoxy into conservative and moderate branches adds further intrigue to an already intricate landscape.
