Moscow Patriarch Bartholomew
Russian women in Istanbul greet Patriarch Bartholomew at the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called. Photo: Phanar's Facebook page
In recent days, several public figures have called 7 January "Moscow Christmas". The head of the Volyn RMA, Nedotep, stated that on this day, only "enemies, who should disappear like Russia," celebrate. The Volyn "metropolitan" M. Zinkevych assured that those celebrating according to the Julian calendar are not with Ukraine, but "with those who la-la-la" (a reference to a profane song about Putin). Finally, Poroshenko reprimanded the Rada for the MPs celebrating "Moscow Christmas" instead of working.
One could spend a long time explaining to these people that 7 January is celebrated by the Jerusalem, Serbian, Macedonian, Polish, Georgian Churches, and Mount Athos.
But perhaps the most convincing argument would be Patriarch Bartholomew's "Old Style" Christmas service for the Russian community in Istanbul. During it, the parishioners greeted His Divine All-Holiness in Russian national costumes and kokoshniks (a traditional Russian headdress worn by women and girls – Trans.). So, there are three "crimes" in a row:
• A service according to the Moscow calendar,
• A service for Russians,
• Propaganda of the culture of the aggressor country.
We suggest that the "hierarchs" of the OCU and patriotic politicians refer to Patriarch Bartholomew as nothing other than the "Moscow cassock".
Read also
UOC vs. OCU numbers: pollsters count, social media recount
Official polling suggests Dumenko’s structure has an overwhelming lead in the number of parishioners, while social media polls paint a very different picture. Which should we believe?
Who is working for the Kremlin in Poland? OCU, Uniates and Catholics versions
Who in the conflict between Poland and Ukraine is "an agent of the Russian Federation"? Zelensky, who gave the UPA name to an AFU special operations center? Nawrocki, who stripped him of an order for it? Polish MEPs?
Can we judge those who joined the OCU from the military commissariat?
There are many known cases where priests and deacons of the UOC, detained by TRC officers, were offered a simple way to secure their release – to switch to the OCU. Most refused.
On Rivne Metropolitan's excuse for service in Jerusalem
If today we consider it possible to make excuses for concelebrating with the ROC, what will we have to justify tomorrow?
UOC isn’t banned, just ‘de-Russified’? Neither was UGCC under Stalin then
By Shevchuk’s logic, Stalin never banned the UGCC or curtailed freedom of conscience – he merely “freed” the souls of the Uniates from Bandera ideology.
A dip in the Jordan on “one – two – three”
Well-known OCU blogger in “holy orders” Oleksii Filiuk has come up with his own theological formula on the banks of the Jordan. It goes like this: “One – two – three.”