"Russian peace" in Ukraine: how the Moscow Patriarchate keeps in touch with the Russian Orthodox Church
The dependence of the UOC MP on the Russian Orthodox Church has not gone anywhere
In the case of the supposed "independence" of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine from the Russian Orthodox Church, new interesting facts appeared the other day. Internal documents of the Moscow Patriarchate were at the disposal of the "Apostrophe" editors, from the content of which it follows that the UOC MP maintains the closest ties with the Russian church, which "blesses" the killing of Ukrainians. About the evidence of such a connection, further in the material.
Moscow trickery
We will remind that after the start of the war, back in 2014, the question of the independence of the UOC-MP from the Russian Orthodox Church became acute. Society needed answers, and the clerics of the Moscow Patriarchate claimed that they had no relation to the Russians, even though their statute clearly stated their subordination to the Russian Orthodox Church.
This is how the Moscow Patriarchate managed to "loop around" for as many as 8 years, before the start of a full-scale invasion. But when Putin's loyal henchman, Patriarch Kirill, fell upon Ukraine with all the force of his ethno-phyletic heresy, it was no longer possible for the Moscow Patriarchate to keep the letters "ROC" in its charter. The UOC MP held an alleged council and allegedly changed its constitution. Direct references to the Russian Orthodox Church were indeed excluded, but unexpectedly (though actually expected) indirect ones appeared - a reference to the Charter of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II dated October 27, 1990. Here is a quote from this document: "The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, united through our Russian Orthodox Church with the United Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church."
It is not surprising that the State Service for Ethnopolitics (DESS) officially asked the UOC MP what it all means? But in response, she received the standard accusations of "inciting religious enmity" and "persecuting the faith." Then, the DESS appointed a religious expert, and the leading Ukrainian religious experts came to the final conclusion: the Moscow Patriarchate maintains a connection with the Russian Orthodox Church.
The UOC MP, of course, denies everything: they do not recognize the expert's decision, they appeal to the courts. However, "Apostrophe" was in possession of the documents of the Moscow Patriarchate itself, which were willingly provided by a clergyman of the church who wished to remain "incognito". And these documents from the dioceses are able to shed light on the true nature of the relationship between the UOC MP and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Document No. 1 "Agent Paramonov"
This is the decree of Metropolitan Vissarion, the head of the Ovruch Diocese of the UOC MP, No. 35 dated 11.12.2021, addressed to priest Vitaly Paramonov, which states: "According to the request, you will be counted as a member of the staff of the Ovruch Diocese with the right to transfer to another diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church . " That is, Metropolitan Vissarion in this order directly states that the Ovruch Diocese is one of the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church.
And where did such a valuable shot go? Of course, to Moscow! But not just to Moscow, but to the Church of Sophia of the Wisdom of God in Srednyi Sadovniki, which is literally across the street from the Kremlin. Convenient, of course, so as not to run far to get directions.
Moreover, Paramonov came to serve this temple on the personal order of Patriarch Kirill, which is also confirmed by relevant documents. On the website of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, you can also find this order under number 02/49 of January 24, 2022.
But it was a month before the start of a large-scale invasion. Perhaps the UOC MP cleric Paramonov, when he learned that Russia crossed the border to kill Ukrainians, did not go anywhere? But where is there? On the YouTube channel of the Church of Sophia of the Wisdom of God in Srednyi Sadovniki, you can find the sermon of Vitaly Paramonov, dated March 13, 2022. That is, the great war was already in full swing, and at that time Paramonov was telling parishioners about the Last Judgment and love for one's neighbor in a church near the Kremlin.
Documents No. 2, 3 "Anglo-Saxon residency"
Of course, Vissarion, the head of the Ovrutsk Diocese of the UOC MP, having sent his cadres to "establish relations" with the neighbors, did it before a full-scale invasion. And even though the Moscow Patriarchate renounced ties with the Russian Orthodox Church even before the Great War, let's be honest: back then, even Ukrainian people's deputies traveled to Moscow. But!
From the following two documents, it becomes obvious that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church are actively exchanging their clergy even in the face of full-scale Russian armed aggression.
Thus, by the letter of the Ovruch Diocese No. 47 dated November 30, 2022, Deacon Gennady Stets is blessed to go to Great Britain and co-serve there with the ROC Bishop Matfey of the Russian Orthodox Church.
And in letter No. 56 dated December 9, 2022, Vissarion discusses the details of his cleric's service with Matthew.
By the way, the character of this Matfey (Gennadiy Lvovich Andreev, born in Tambov) is extremely interesting. In April 2022, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense compiled a list of ROC servants who are soldiers of the propaganda army of the Russian Federation and cooperate with the occupation units of information and psychological operations. Gennady Lvovich Andreev was included in this list.
"According to the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, officers of the military police received clear instructions to agitate parents and relatives of young Russians to encourage them to enter into a contract for military service," the intelligence agency reported.
That is, a priest in Ukraine, at the height of the war, sends his ward to "visit" a propagandist in a cassock from Russia, who is officially identified by Ukrainian intelligence as an enemy. If this is not evidence of ties between the UOC MP and the Russian Orthodox Church, then what is?
In the same way, the German Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is in Germany, addressed the issue of the ministry of the UOC MP priest Maksym Dorokhov.
A separate question is how Ukrainian priests manage to travel abroad in the conditions of declared martial law.
Document No. 4 "So that Cyril rejoiced"
But it is not only the ROC FSB that invites Ukrainian priests to its home. Gundyaev sends Muscovites to Ukraine as well.
This fact emerges from the letter of priest Vladyslav Pavlushenko, a citizen of the Russian Federation, to Vissarion, the head of the Ovrutsk Diocese of the UOC MP. On this letter, Vissarion wrote a lengthy resolution with the following content in his own hand: "I believe that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill will be pleased with your return to Ukraine, to the Ovruch Diocese, to serve, strengthen our parishioners in the canonical church, in connection with some attacks by schismatics, heretics on the Holy Church. Let us be inspired by the feat of our holy ancestors in defense of holy Orthodoxy. Metropolitan Vissarion."
"For our homeland, for Russia"
Separately, it would be worth dwelling on the figure of Metropolitan Vissarion himself (Vasyl Stretovych), who maintains such an active correspondence with the clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church during the war.
Stretovych was already involved in a high-profile scandal back in 2019, when he threatened priests who decided to switch from the UOC-MP to the OCU.
"Priests who have joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are being pressured by the hierarch of the Russian Church in Ukraine, Metropolitan Vissarion of Ovrutskyi and Korosten. He sends SMS messages to the clergy with threats and calls for repentance. Metropolitan Vissarion also warns that the communities that have switched from him , Russian priests and people who "can help to repent" will arrive. Also, the Ovruch Diocese of the Russian Church is campaigning in parishes, distributing leaflets with provocative content about the banning of the priest and the repentance of all those who have converted to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine," reported the Zhytomyr-Ovrut Diocese OCU.
And in April 2022, Vissarion himself ran to complain to the law enforcement officers.
"On March 28 of this year, in the premises (Ovruch, Soborna 3) of the Ovruch Diocese, in my absence, some people, in the presence of the police, seized liturgical books (in the Slavic language) according to which divine services are performed in our parishes. Seized also the teachings of many saints, the Gospel, the Bible in the Slavic and Russian languages, purchased at the request and donations of believers," Vissarion stated.
And what kind of literature was bought by believers for the last money? In December, the SBU visited Vissarion's estate with searches.
"On the territory of the eparchy, a large amount of pro-Kremlin religious and monarchical literature, texts of prayers "for our homeland, for Russia", as well as "methodology" of the Moscow Patriarchate on how exactly the fact of the functioning of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine should be called and interpreted - as allegedly "founded sinful people." In addition, among the SBU employees found prayer lists of bishops, whose "health" clerics should pray for. The so-called "Holy Patriarch Kirill" continued to head these lists - despite the official decision to stop the traditional "commemoration" of his name at all religious services in all churches," the SBU emphasized.
In addition, while working out the personal contacts of clerics of the diocese, law enforcement officers established their connections with subscribers who are citizens of the Russian Federation. This is the island of the "Russian world" that Metropolitan Vissarion carefully cultivated in his diocese.
Against this background, Vissarion's Christmas greetings to Gundyaev, which are also confirmed by documents, generally look like a trifle.
Who will reach Russia faster?
So what should society and the state do in this case? How to sink these islands of "Russian peace"? There is still no law banning the UOC-MP in Ukraine, but no one has canceled the punishment for collaborationism.
"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be frightened. One should be put down, so that the rest are afraid that they might also sit down. During all these years, no one frightened them, because they had a "roof" in the form of Novinsky (businessman Vadym Novinsky, who was considered a patron of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, - "Apostrophe" ) with his money. And now another leadership of the SBU came. That is why they took over this church: the proceedings appeared. If they are scared, then some will run to Russia, like, for example, Andriy Tkachev (the odious former priest of the pro-Russian UOC MP views, - "Apostrophe" ), and others will have to transform and evolve", - explains religionist Lyudmila Filipovych to "Apostrophe".
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"But if we are already opening certain criminal cases, then they must be brought to an end," religious expert Ihor Kozlovskyi adds to Apostrophe. "It is necessary for society to know about all cases of collaboration - and not only from the mouths of journalists, but also from law enforcement officers." . It is important for society that the state and law enforcement structures react. We need official facts about the destructive activities of this church. There are many such facts, but they are not systematized and are the product of the work of civil society and journalists, not law enforcement officers."
Thus, all talk about the fact that there is no connection between the UOC-MP and the Russian Orthodox Church is an outright lie that perfectly fits into the plane of Russian propaganda and is aimed only at another attempt by the Kremlin to hide its most powerful fifth column in Ukraine.