The UOC ban: The point of no return has been passed
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has banned the UOC. 20 August 2024 will go down in the history books as its turning point. Where have we turned to?
"The workers‘ and peasants’ revolution, the necessity of which the Bolsheviks have been talking about all along, has been accomplished! Hurrah, comrades!" These were the words of Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the world proletariat, the day after the October Revolution of 1917. What followed were 70 years of wars, repression, devastation and human suffering. A hundred years from now, the vote to ban the UOC might be remembered as a similar event. Or, perhaps, God will have mercy on us and spare us the punishment we deserve. But let's try to analyze what has happened, to understand who is fishing in this troubled water for their own benefit and predict the further development of events. We can examine this situation from three perspectives: political, material and spiritual.
The Political Dimension
The tragedy of the vote to ban the UOC lies in the fact that with Law 8371, Ukrainian society is deeply divided, and this division will last for a long time. Even the UOC's opponents estimate that its followers number around 6 million. This is a substantial portion of the Ukrainian population, though not a majority. Now, all these people will feel oppressed and deprived of their rights. Such a strong sense of injustice among such a large group of people does not simply fade away. It will inevitably manifest in some way, likely in something negative.
Let's think about it: who are these 6 million UOC believers? Are they a closed group living in a particular reservation? Of course not! These are people from all walks of life and all social groups. They live throughout Ukraine, holding various positions in public service, law enforcement, government, and even in the Verkhovna Rada. UOC believers are found among businesspeople, both large and small to medium-sized. They are workers, rural labourers, service sector employees, etc. Most importantly, they include a significant portion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, soldiers who defend our country, risking their lives and health in the war. These are people who sacrifice everything to protect a state that has now banned their Church, ordered them to renounce God they believe in, and betray the Church they belong to. What will the sense of injustice in these fearless and resolute people boil down to?
On the other hand, they are opposed by people who are also millions and who have been made haters of the Church of Christ by the state and media propaganda. Before the aggressive campaign against the UOC began, only a few Ukrainian citizens were hostile toward the Church. The vast majority either had a positive or neutral attitude toward the UOC. However, in the last five to seven years, brainwashing has taken its toll.
Many people now genuinely believe that the UOC is indeed an enemy that must be destroyed. No arguments or evidence to the contrary, no matter how reasonable or factual, seem to make a difference. It's simply not possible that 6 million citizens from Lviv to Dnipro are enemies of the Ukrainian state, but these facts don't resonate with people. They believe in the false yet catchy and straightforward slogans: "The UOC is the FSB," "The UOC are enemies of the people," "The UOC represents the 'Russian world.'" The fact that these accusations are baseless doesn't seem to matter. With the onset of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Ukrainian people's hatred of the invaders has been redirected by the authorities towards the UOC.
Now that propaganda has done its job, and Ukrainians see each other as enemies, the Rada has essentially given the command: "Attack." As a result, opponents of the UOC are highly motivated to persecute their neighbours, former friends, and even family members who belong to the Church of Christ. Now, villagers, city dwellers and especially radical activists will come to UOC churches to expel the faithful. They won't care about what's written in the law banning the UOC and about the prescribed procedures, court processes, timelines, or appeals. To any attempts by believers to defend themselves with reason, the response will be a simple and unequivocal statement: "The Rada has banned you!" This is like the decree of the ancient Roman emperors who persecuted the Church: "You should not exist."
In such circumstances, we should expect a surge in violence, church takeovers, assaults on priests and believers and other forms of lawlessness. Those eager to crack down on the Church will justify any action by citing the law that the Rada passed banning the UOC. Law enforcement, too, will justify their inaction with the same Law 8371.
How far will this violence go? How many people will be beaten, maimed or possibly even killed? How many temples will be seized and looted? Time will answer all these questions.
But there is another very serious question: Will a revived Cossack movement emerge on the political arena which, as it did 400 years ago, will stand up for the defence of the Orthodox faith? What methods will it use, and what political goals will it pursue? Much of what is happening now has occurred before in Ukrainian history. Internal strife and hostility among our people, which the Rada has now sanctioned, have never brought peace or stability to Ukraine. Will we witness the collapse of the Ukrainian state? Will our country fall apart? Will Zelensky be swept away by other political forces? Will Ukraine face a series of coups d'état? What sacrifices will be required for this? Time will answer all these questions, but the adoption of the law banning the UOC has significantly increased the likelihood of such outcomes.
Ukraine will face strife and confrontation in the domestic political situation. This will happen in any case. The only question is what degree of brutality our fellow citizens will reach. But there is also an international aspect. The law banning the UOC so blatantly violates freedom of religion that the country enforcing it may have to say goodbye to its aspirations of joining the European Union and other international organisations that unite Western countries. What happened in the VRU on 20 August 2024 is impossible in any civilised country. Such a thing might occur in a state with a totalitarian regime, but not in a country that considers itself democratic and lawful. And if Ukraine's foreign policy vector shifts away from the European Union due to this decision, what should Ukraine expect?
The Material Dimension
It has been quite surprising to observe how various religious organisations, members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), expressed support for the UOC ban. They all fully understood that this was a blatant injustice, that the state was destroying the Church of Christ, that this was a true violation of the law. And yet, they all consider themselves believers, religious people who respect the moral law, which is nearly identical across all these groups. So why did none of them speak out in defence of the UOC? Why did no one have a kind word for the largest religious organisation in Ukraine? Why did no one tell the truth? Of course, a big factor was simple cowardice – the fear of going against the will of those in power. Perhaps, this is also the result of certain conversations with representatives of the security forces. But it is also impossible to deny the significant material interest of various religious structures.
The UOC, after all, is not just a religious organisation; it also includes a great number of church buildings, monasteries, various facilities, and so on. Some of this property was transferred to the UOC by the state in the 1990s. The fact that the Church had everything taken away after the Revolution of 1917 is another matter. Now, the state will once again start seizing the Church's property, both that which was transferred after Ukraine's independence was declared and that which the Church acquired through the efforts and devotion of its believers – everything that has been created and built over the last 30 years. This is a huge, tempting prize, and other religious organisations, which call themselves Orthodox, as well as others, plan to divide it among themselves.
Think of the Kyiv-Pechersk, Pochaiv or Sviatohirsk Lavras. Imagine how many holy relics, ancient icons, valuable artifacts, and so on are collected there. Consider the buildings, churches, and cells that have been constructed or restored. And now, it turns out that all of this can be taken away, and without any consequences.
Lavras have always been centers of pilgrimage, and besides their spiritual significance, there is also a material aspect. This includes income from the sale of icons, religious items, donations, etc. Now, all these financial streams could be redirected by those who seize control. At least, this is likely what the UOC's adversaries from other religious organisations believe.
And there's also the opportunity to "utilize" state funds that will certainly be allocated for the maintenance of these monastic complexes (since the OCU, for example, doesn’t have the money for this, as is clearly evident from the many UOC temples that were taken over and now stand empty and neglected). The raiders might hope that even if the faithful stop attending the seized Lavras, there will still be tourists, who can be attracted with various concerts and "cultural" events.
Imagine a rural church, not wealthy but solidly built, with icons and religious items, bells, a Sunday school and a refectory. The parishioners, who earned their money through hard work and sweat, contributed significantly to the Church. Now, a group of OCU supporters or members of other religious organisations has a perfect opportunity to take all of this for themselves. There’s no need to work for it or make any sacrifices – they can just come and take it. So why not vote to ban the UOC?
Many churches and property will be transferred to the balance of various state and local museums and reserves. And we all know how well officials, both centrally and locally, manage the state property entrusted to them. The experience of the Bolsheviks will also come in handy. Back then, church valuables were confiscated supposedly to help the starving; now, this could be done under the pretense of helping the front, especially if Western aid starts to cease.
In short, it's always appealing to divide up a large piece of property. The UOC has been banned, so the property is "up for grabs". As the saying goes: “If there’s a trough…”.
The Sacred Dimension
By voting to ban the UOC, the Verkhovna Rada, on behalf of all of Ukraine, has renounced God and the Church, which is His Body. It has renounced the faith of our ancestors, the faith of Prince Volodymyr and Princess Olga, the faith of Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, and the faith of the countless saints who have shone forth on our land. It has turned away from their heavenly intercession for us sinners. With this decision by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine has become a God-fighting nation. Can this go without consequences?
When the people of Israel turned away from God and began to worship idols, Israel was struck by great calamities. The Lord brought foreign nations against them, which captured and enslaved them. The prophets spoke harsh words, condemning the godless rulers and warning the people of impending disasters.
Isaiah: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers" (Isaiah 1:2-7).
Jeremiah: "And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 'What do you see?' And I said, 'I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.' Then the Lord said to me: 'Out of the north, calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,' says the Lord; 'They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands'" (Jeremiah 1:13-16).
Ezekiel: "Thus says the Lord God: 'This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.' Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes nor kept My judgments, nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you, therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. Therefore, fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will scatter to all the winds'" (Ezekiel 5:5-10).
Similar words were spoken by other prophets. Anyone can pick up the Bible and see this for themselves. In 988, our country swore allegiance to the One True God, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the baptismal waters of the Dnieper. It became part of the Body of Christ, His holy Church. And now our country is renouncing Christ. Can this go without consequences?
Some might say that we are living in the period of the New Testament, so we shouldn't pay attention to the words of the Old Testament prophets. But when, in the 16th-17th centuries, part of the Ukrainian people renounced the Church and joined the Union, it was followed by one of the most terrible periods in our history, later known as the Ruin.
When, in the 15th century, the Orthodox Greeks, or more precisely the Byzantine authorities, renounced Orthodoxy and signed the Florence Union with Rome, it was followed by the invasion of the Ottoman Turks and the subjugation of Byzantium.
If we carefully examine the history of Orthodox nations, we often see that significant religious events were followed by tragic consequences.
Will something similar happen now? Once again, only time will tell. But the hope of appeasing God always remains. The Ukrainian authorities have become God-fighting authorities. They have made their choice, but that doesn’t mean there is no chance for salvation.
Because now, every person must make their own choice. This is especially true for the clergy and believers of the UOC. Now we stand at a crossroads: continue to worship the One True God or bow to the idol of Ukrainian statehood, fulfilling the godless demands of the Ukrainian authorities.
Each UOC bishop will make this choice. They will inevitably be "questioned" by SBU officers and other agencies. They will be threatened, and they will be offered various "perks" for making the "right" decision. And they will have to choose: who to worship?
Every priest will have to choose: to face the wrath of local authorities and radicals, who are filled with hate and live nearby, or to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and His Church.
Every monk and layperson will have to decide: to bow before the "all-powerful" authorities or to remain a persecuted partaker of Divine Grace.
For every believer, a moment of truth is coming, and each will have to ask themselves: Who am I? Who is the true me? Am I a faithful servant of God or a fearful conformist, willing to trade the Kingdom of God for an earthly kingdom?
And we can be sure of this: the more people who answer, "I remain in the Church, I am with Christ," the fewer harmful consequences will befall Ukraine.
God, have mercy on us and give us the strength to remain faithful to You and Your Church!
