Recently, I've saw a link to the post on a Slavic forum. It was devoted to the visit of the OCA Primate, Metropolitan Tikhon, to the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. It seemed interesting for me, and I've decided to translate it in English:
Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Metropolitan Tikhon visited Phanar on March 19-20 this year, where he concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Patriarch Bartholomew on the day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy Liturgy. A few days later, on March 23, His Beatitude’s statement on the results of this visit was published on the OCA website.
Despite the cautious tone of the document, some users of Orthodox websites began to express elation and optimism – no, not about the victory over iconoclasm which was commemorated that day by the Church, but about the con-celebration between Metropolitan Tikhon and Ecumenical Patriarch. However, what did the OCA actually look like at the event?
One could understand the joy of the faithful if their church hadn’t been recognized as canonical till that time, and the Ecumenical Patriarch suddenly recognized her and decided to con-celebrate with their Primate. But there are no doubts or controversies about the OCA’s canonicity itself, it has been enjoying mutual communion with all Local Churches for a long time already. As for the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America, nothing has changed. But judging from the rank among other clergy which was taken to Metropolitan Tikhon at the worship service, questions arose about what kind of future awaits the OCA.
As you can see in the photos, the head of the OCA Metropolitan Tikhon was the last, but two among 12 bishops who con-celebrated with Bartholomew – just after the Metropolitan of San Francisco Gerasimos and before Metropolitans Maximos of Selymbria and Amphilochios of Adrianopolis. For the oldest and the second largest Orthodox church in the USA such hierarchical position of her Primate is an overt affront. Is it possible that Metropolitan Tikhon no longer is the Primate of the OCA? May be he became a cleric of the Constantinople patriarchate? How did the advisers to the OCA’s Primate make such a shame for their Metropolitan and the whole church? Didn’t the head of Chancery John (Jillions) feel ashamed to look into the His Eminence’s eyes, did he? May be he just followed the orders of the Patriarch Bartholomew?
It is worth noting that the uncanonical interference in the internal affairs of other churches have become commonplace for Constantinople long ago. The previous Primate of the OCA Metropolitan Jonah was deposed for defending the OCA’s viewpoint in the face of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and for a good relationship with their Mother Church – the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). The circumstances of Metropolitan Herman’s resignation also raise suspicions about the possible involvement of Phanar and pro-sodomy pseudo-Orthodox journalists. Did Metropolitan Tikhon want a quiet old age without any shocks and therefore His Eminence simply arrived in the Phanar to surrender his Church?
Recent events speak volumes about just how deeply tentacles of the Constantinople Patriarchate penetrated into the body of the OCA. For example, on February 1, 2016 the Ecumenical Patriarch’s adviser on environmental issues Archdeacon John (Chryssavgis) delivered a lecture at the St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Despite the fact that the lecture was dedicated to the 33th anniversary of the repose of the OCA Archpriest Alexander Shmeman who contributed a lot to the restoration of communion with the ROC and the autocephaly. In his speech, Archdeacon John has described the ROC and a number of other autocephalous churches as a vain paranoid nationalists and almost heretics sabotaging the Holy and Great Council. And representatives of the OCA Holy Synod quietly endure the defamation of their Mother Church which has been trying hard for almost 50 years so as to the OCA head became on a par with other Primates of autocephalous Churches!
Such behavior of Constantinople is understandable. After all, the EP has been being under the Turkish yoke for hundreds of years and has virtually no own lambs. Therefore, not a peace-loving but an aggressive foreign policy aimed at the subordination of churches from other jurisdiction is the hallmark of the recent Constantinople Patriarchs.
Nowadays, while Phanar is trying to take advantage of Tikhon’s weakness or its agents infiltrated to the His Eminence’s Chancery, you can see how all its intentions toward the OCA become evident. It is a pity that the successors of this ancient Christian See are fighting not for the purity of Orthodoxy (as did their predecessors) but for the new sources of funding. And this is despite the modest needs of the small quarter in Istanbul! Why they want OCA parishes to fill the Turkish coffers?What do you think about the future of OCA?
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Seems like the Ecumenical Patriarchate abandoned its aim to recognize and subject so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyivan patriarchate and therefore decided to get OCA instead...
Metropolitan Tikon has always seemed like a very humble man. I doubt he took offense.
Today I've seen the link to an article on Ukrainian religious situation in Facebook. It seemed as quite comprehensive for me. Of course, external dificulties are not as essential for the faithful as the internal/spiritual ones. Nevertheless the social climate is an important thing. That's why I decided to share that article with you. Please, pray for us. Your spiritual support is highly appreciated! On religious freedom in the "European" Ukraine Recently, amid scandalous resignations of several Ukrainian Government members and the lack of any progress in the fight against corruption, relations between Kyiv and the EU took a significant nose-dive. But in addition to socio-economic issues one should not forget about the protection of human rights and democratic values. For example, even the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is concerned over violations of religious freedom in Ukraine. In particular, representatives of the schismatic Kyivan "Patriarchate" supported by the nationalists and the local authorities illegally seizure temples of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate, UOC-MP) with increasing frequency. Referring to the one-sided or even false messages of such Ukrainian media as the TV channel "1+1", the opponents of the canonical Orthodox Church always profess that believers convert to the "Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate" (UOC-KP) voluntary. The "Religious Information Service of Ukraine" website even has a map of such "convertions": 28 parishes marked as a change of jurisdiction, 32 – as divided ones. In a number of cases there are reports (just like a status reports from the battlefield) saying that "on this day UOC-KP believers took the temple." It is such a grudging term that was used to cover the illegal seizure of religious buildings in the villages Uhryniv (Volyn region), Badovka and Pticha (Rivne region), Katerinovka (Ternopil region). The Kyivan "Patriarchate" supporters often state that the main reason for the change of jurisdiction is "unpatriotic nature" of the UOC-MP. Indeed, in contrast to the schismatics, nobody says "He helped the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" while giving you a holy icon of St. Amphilochius of Pochaev in a church of the Moscow. They do not use the names of men of faith for political purposes, misrepresenting them as almost nationalists. The canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine continues the apostolic preaching of Christ and distance themselves from the dubious policy of the current country's neo-fascist leaders. That is why alternate services proposed as a compromise in the dispute over church property appears to be unacceptable for the UOC-MP. In addition, a lot of examples of the pro-Filaret schismatics' perfidy are evident for the faithful. For example, as soon as "UOC-KP" members were allowed to serve in the temple of Katerinovka village (Ternopil region) in turns with UOC-MP community to avoid hostility, they simply occupied the church building. Then, on September 21, 2015 the faithful of the canonical Orthodox Church who came for feast's prayer were brutally beaten by the "Right sector" fighters and the so-called MIA volunteer battalion "Ternopil-2"! At the same time, law enforcement officials took no action to stop the massacre and to restore order. Meanwhile, the Kyivan "Patriarchate" refers to the participation of nonresident nationalists in the seizures of the churches as "an assistance in avoiding provocations". What does this really mean, you can see with your own eyes in these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIC84WuzGq4 Turka, Lviv region, 10/05/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lEWYs9HnfE Stinka, Ternopil region, 03/22/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjVwFSln-A Katerinovka, Ternopil region, 09/21/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDx5JVLZAWM Zaluhov, Volyn region, 11/14/2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGyWBUCWoYs Pticha, Rivne region, 12/18/2015 It is worth noting that the schismatics often appeal to certain believers' petitions in favor of changing community's jurisdiction to the "UOC-KP". But "credibility" of such documents is well illustrated by the example of the Novostav village (Ternopil region). In the spring of 2014, there were 575 signatures collected for both denominations in the village, although the total number of adult faithful inhabitants was only 382! Moreover, with reference to their "majority", ones who want to convert to the "UOC-KP" are trying by hook or by crook to change the jurisdiction of the whole community in order to retain the right to use its temple. It stands to reason that such an imposing of their will on those who remain committed to their Church contradicts the national legislation, according to which everyone has the right to choose freely their religious affiliation! Probably, this is the reason why some members of the country's parliament are trying to change the law concerning the religious freedom and to legalize majority-based transition of the faith community from one jurisdiction to another in spite of the Constitution of Ukraine and in violation of the international human rights law. Now, due to the politicization of the issue and the government-led russophobic campaign, Kyivan "Patriarchate" enjoys considerable lobbying power among local officials. For example, on September 4, 2015 the council of the Bashuki village (Ternopil region) took the decision to move the parish from the UOC-MP to the "UOC-KP" jurisdiction so as to a believers' complaint over the capture of the Archangel Michael temple by the schismatics and the "Right sector" rebels would not be heard in the court. However, on November 24, 2015 the Ternopil Court of Appeal ruled the decision of the village council as illegal. The courts sided with the canonical Church in disputes over the churches in the villages Gribovitsa (Volyn region), Kolosova (Ternopil region), Pticha (Rivne region) and others. However, the compilers of the map of the "voluntary transitions" to the Filaret jurisdiction are silent about the such judicial decisions. As well as about the numerous facts of vandalism, arson of churches, threatening and attacks on the UOC-MP priests (for example, the one in the Kazatin town of Vinnitsa region)... Let the Europeans decide whether the situation with freedom of speech and religion in Ukraine meet EU standards, but at least the Christian values and conventional norms of the social life are violated for sure!
I was led to believe maybe half of Ukrainians profess no religion at all. I wonder whether the dispute is between actual churchgoers or folks who don't pray in the first place.