09-15-2018, 10:34 PM
*** 16-Sep-18 World View -- Russian Orthodox Church in historic split with Constantinople over Ukraine issue
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Russian Orthodox Church in historic split with Constantinople over Ukraine issue
****
![[Image: g180915b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180915b.jpg)
Putin's dream of an 'Orthodox Vatican' would be a major tourist and religious center in the city of Sergiev Posad, northeast of Moscow (BBC)
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has taken the first steps in what is
being described as a "historic schism" in the Orthodox Christian
Church.
The ROC announced on Friday:
<QUOTE>"We have decided to suspend joint performance of
church services with the hierarchs of the Constantinople
Patriarchate, to suspend our membership in all structures, which
are headed or co-chaired by the representatives of
Constantinople."<END QUOTE>
An ROC spokesman said that this was only a "warning," and that the ROC
would break all relations with Constantinople if it grants
independence to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is currently
subordinate to the Russian Church.
The Constantinople Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate are two of
several dozen Orthodox Patriarchates in the world, but they're the two
most influential.
The city of Constantinople was renamed Istanbul when it was conquered
by the Ottoman Muslims in 1453, bringing an end to the Byzantine
Empire. However, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox
Christians is still considered to be the Constantinople Patriarchate.
All Patriarchates are considered to be equal, but Constantinople is
"first among equals."
Orthodox Christians in Ukraine are officially part of the Russian
Orthodox Church. There is a Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev that
was formed in the 1990s, but it's not recognized by other Orthodox
churches.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, and then invaded and annexed Crimea in
2014, there was a movement in Ukraine to make the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church an "autocephalous church" or independent church. Instead of
being subordinate to the Russian Church, the Ukrainian church would
then be a peer to the Russian and Constantinople churches.
Right now, Patriarch Bartholomew I in Constantinople is leading a
debate about whether he should issue what is called a "Tomos of
autocephaly" (charter of independence), which would give the Ukraine
church the independence that it wants. It's believed that Bartholomew
favors doing so, and that a decision will be reached by the end of the
year. At that time, Patriarch Kirill in Moscow is expected to
completely several all relations with Constantinople. Russia Today and Moscow Times and BBC Russian
(Trans) and Telegraph (London)
****
**** Consequences of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church
****
Although the current split was triggered by the Ukrainian church's
request for independence, following Russia's invasion, occupation and
annexation of Crimea, the chances of a split between Russia and
Constantinople have been growing for years, particularly since the
collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was officially atheist. Nonetheless, during the time
of the Soviet Union, there was one Russian Orthodox Church, and all
Orthodox Christians in the Soviet Empire belonged to it. After the
Soviet collapse in 1991, independent Orthodox churches were formed in
Estonia and other former Soviet republics. Constantinople recognized
the Estonian church as independent, resulting in enormous friction
between Moscow and Constantinople.
Those disputes became even more prominent when Russia's president
Vladimir Putin came to power. Putin's dream is that the Russian
Patriarchate should replace the Constantinople Patriarchate as the
"first among equals." Furthermore, Putin dreamed of creating an
"Orthodox Vatican" in the ancient city of Sergiev Posad, northeast of
Moscow.
In line with this dream, Putin has been enticing, bribing and
threatening various Orthodox churches to pledge loyalty to the Russian
church, rather than the Constantinople church.
Putin's dream sounds reasonable when you consider that the Russian
church is the largest Orthodox Church in the world, in terms of
numbers of members and parishes. However, if Ukraine becomes an
independent church, then the Russian church will lose almost half its
parishes, and that will be the end of Putin's dream. It will also
cost the Russian Patriarchate a great deal of money. It will also
encourage other former Soviet republics, like Belarus and Georgia, to
follow the same path.
So this pending decision by Bartholomew is far more than symbolic. It
has major religious and geopolitical implications. Putin would
certainly retaliate. He might retaliate in Ukraine with a renewed
invasion. He might retaliate by trying to convince his new pal,
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to take some action in the
Phanar, the portion of Istanbul still occupied by the Constantinople
Patriarchate. So Bartholomew's decision, expected by the end of the
year, should have major consequences. Jamestown and Moscow Times and BBC Russian (Trans) Window on Eurasia
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Russia, Ukraine, Constantinople,
Russian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church,
Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Kirill,
Vladimir Putin, Sergiev Posad, Orthodox Vatican,
Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Estonia, Belarus, Georgia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Russian Orthodox Church in historic split with Constantinople over Ukraine issue
- Consequences of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church
****
**** Russian Orthodox Church in historic split with Constantinople over Ukraine issue
****
Putin's dream of an 'Orthodox Vatican' would be a major tourist and religious center in the city of Sergiev Posad, northeast of Moscow (BBC)
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has taken the first steps in what is
being described as a "historic schism" in the Orthodox Christian
Church.
The ROC announced on Friday:
<QUOTE>"We have decided to suspend joint performance of
church services with the hierarchs of the Constantinople
Patriarchate, to suspend our membership in all structures, which
are headed or co-chaired by the representatives of
Constantinople."<END QUOTE>
An ROC spokesman said that this was only a "warning," and that the ROC
would break all relations with Constantinople if it grants
independence to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is currently
subordinate to the Russian Church.
The Constantinople Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate are two of
several dozen Orthodox Patriarchates in the world, but they're the two
most influential.
The city of Constantinople was renamed Istanbul when it was conquered
by the Ottoman Muslims in 1453, bringing an end to the Byzantine
Empire. However, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox
Christians is still considered to be the Constantinople Patriarchate.
All Patriarchates are considered to be equal, but Constantinople is
"first among equals."
Orthodox Christians in Ukraine are officially part of the Russian
Orthodox Church. There is a Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kiev that
was formed in the 1990s, but it's not recognized by other Orthodox
churches.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, and then invaded and annexed Crimea in
2014, there was a movement in Ukraine to make the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church an "autocephalous church" or independent church. Instead of
being subordinate to the Russian Church, the Ukrainian church would
then be a peer to the Russian and Constantinople churches.
Right now, Patriarch Bartholomew I in Constantinople is leading a
debate about whether he should issue what is called a "Tomos of
autocephaly" (charter of independence), which would give the Ukraine
church the independence that it wants. It's believed that Bartholomew
favors doing so, and that a decision will be reached by the end of the
year. At that time, Patriarch Kirill in Moscow is expected to
completely several all relations with Constantinople. Russia Today and Moscow Times and BBC Russian
(Trans) and Telegraph (London)
****
**** Consequences of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church
****
Although the current split was triggered by the Ukrainian church's
request for independence, following Russia's invasion, occupation and
annexation of Crimea, the chances of a split between Russia and
Constantinople have been growing for years, particularly since the
collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was officially atheist. Nonetheless, during the time
of the Soviet Union, there was one Russian Orthodox Church, and all
Orthodox Christians in the Soviet Empire belonged to it. After the
Soviet collapse in 1991, independent Orthodox churches were formed in
Estonia and other former Soviet republics. Constantinople recognized
the Estonian church as independent, resulting in enormous friction
between Moscow and Constantinople.
Those disputes became even more prominent when Russia's president
Vladimir Putin came to power. Putin's dream is that the Russian
Patriarchate should replace the Constantinople Patriarchate as the
"first among equals." Furthermore, Putin dreamed of creating an
"Orthodox Vatican" in the ancient city of Sergiev Posad, northeast of
Moscow.
In line with this dream, Putin has been enticing, bribing and
threatening various Orthodox churches to pledge loyalty to the Russian
church, rather than the Constantinople church.
Putin's dream sounds reasonable when you consider that the Russian
church is the largest Orthodox Church in the world, in terms of
numbers of members and parishes. However, if Ukraine becomes an
independent church, then the Russian church will lose almost half its
parishes, and that will be the end of Putin's dream. It will also
cost the Russian Patriarchate a great deal of money. It will also
encourage other former Soviet republics, like Belarus and Georgia, to
follow the same path.
So this pending decision by Bartholomew is far more than symbolic. It
has major religious and geopolitical implications. Putin would
certainly retaliate. He might retaliate in Ukraine with a renewed
invasion. He might retaliate by trying to convince his new pal,
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to take some action in the
Phanar, the portion of Istanbul still occupied by the Constantinople
Patriarchate. So Bartholomew's decision, expected by the end of the
year, should have major consequences. Jamestown and Moscow Times and BBC Russian (Trans) Window on Eurasia
Related Articles:
- Russia's annexation of Crimea splits the Russian Orthodox Church (20-Mar-2014)
- Russian Duma goes after Protestant churches as 'sects and cults' (14-Dec-2015)
- Historic Orthodox Christian gathering in Crete exposes sharp divisions (20-Jun-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Russia, Ukraine, Constantinople,
Russian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church,
Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Kirill,
Vladimir Putin, Sergiev Posad, Orthodox Vatican,
Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Estonia, Belarus, Georgia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
