Legoyda: The struggle of Ukrainian schismatics has no canonical sense

Председатель Синодального отдела по взаимоотношениям Церкви с обществом и СМИ Владимир Легойда. Фото: Фома

On June 28, 2019, Vladimir Legoyda, head for ROC Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and Media commented in the “Bright Evening” program on the “Vera” (“Faith”) radio about the church situation in Ukraine, writes Patriarchia.ru

According to V. Legoyda, initially it was difficult to predict the development of events around the granting of the Tomos. He noted that the forecasts are an ungrateful task, and when it comes to Ukrainian politics, it is double ungrateful and reminded that several days ago the OCU had deprived “Patriarch” Mikhail Denisenko of the right to manage the Kiev Eparchy but left him in the “episcopate”.

“In all this, it is very difficult to see any canonical sense, and it is not clear whether Denisenko himself recognizes this organization or not, as well as the removing of anathema from him,” added Vladimir Legoyda.

A representative of the Russian Orthodox Church noted that partly the problem of the schism has a material background: “The notorious Tomos effectively deprived the newly created organization of the rights to parishes outside Ukraine. At the beginning of the week, information about the sum that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine must contribute every month to Constantinople even sounded in some places. It is clear that our life cannot go without finances – this is the way economics and economic activity work, but when you talk about religious issues and understand that they, by and large, centers on the material component – this is extremely unpleasant.”

Legoyda noted with regret that, despite the change of political power in Ukraine, the attempts to seize churches and violence against the parishioners of the canonical Church by the schismatics did not cease. However, in his opinion, this can be explained by some inertia, at least in part.

“The whole story with the Tomos was initiated by P. Poroshenko to try to retain his power and, obviously, it did not work. For the new president of Ukraine, the religious theme is not a priority or even an important one. If some separate processes were directed by the previous authorities, now this is not happening, and we can hope for some respite. It is clear that the new government will have to decide sooner or later, but so far no one, including this very power, knows what kind of policy it will follow in the religious issue. Moreover, V. Zelensky doesn’t have any personal interest in this matter,” concluded the Head of the Department for Church Relations with Society and Media.

As the UOJ reported earlier, at the meeting of the “Holy Synod” of June 24, 2019, “Patriarch” Filaret was deprived of the right to govern the Kiev Eparchy of the OCU but was left in the “episcopate”.

The members of the “Holy Synod” of the OCU decided, “taking into account the special merits in the past to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to state that Honorary Patriarch Filaret remains in the episcopate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but lost the canonical rights and duties related to the administration of the eparchy”.

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