In a number of information attacks Russia made against Ukraine in the context of the upcoming holidays, the line of protest against the visit of Patriarch Bartholomew used to be highlighted. Neither the NATO military nor the various threats emanating from the Islamic world make our younger brothers as anxious as this trip. In fact, Bartholomew’s visit makes their eyes twitch.
That’s according to a Ukrainian blogger Oleksiy Kopytko.
Pro-Russian forces have already threatened to set up mass rallies, organized flash mobs involving provocative posters, and disseminated videos with Kirill (Gundyaev)’s kisses. Today they began to spin the letter of appeal of “acclaimed Ukrainians” who have long plunged into the abyss of the “Russian World” (for understanding, Academician Petro Tolochko – the most (!) famous Ukrainian among signatories, not to mention others who are mid-tier servants of Vladimir Putin’s crony Viktor Medvedchuk.
As this hollering has made no particular impression on anyone, in the rhetoric of Batholomew’s opponents we hear the increasing accent on “violation of civil peace.” That is, they directly threaten us with riots. This doesn’t go well with persuasions that their moves will be exclusively peaceful and prayerful.
It is important for Moscow to prevent Bartholomew’s visit for two reasons.
First. This will be, if I’m not mistaken, the patriarch’s third visit to Kyiv. But he will be visiting the Ukrainian local church for the first time. That is, in this regard, the visit is a kind of landmark. Moscow plans to overshadow the epochal visit with some nonsensical white noise.
Second. The ROCinU, in fact, remained the only Russian-controlled organization in Ukraine capable of anything. It has support, operating structures, money, and influence, which is only starting to fade out (let’s not fool ourselves with stories claiming it’s only some devout old ladies who remained faithful to the ROCinU). This is the last stronghold of the empire in political and organizational terms. Everything else is a trifle compared to the church. That is why it is extremely important for Moscow to keep this Church “anti-Ukrainian.”
In this church, there are many priests (especially at the grassroots level) and parishioners who despise Gundyaev, refuse to see him as their superior, and identify as true Ukrainians. And their souls are being torn apart by contradictions. They feel no peace. To keep these people under control, Russia is specifically rebuilding the church into a political project with an imitation of government pressure on it. The image of the persecuted church is being actively exploited. Although in many regions of Ukraine, it is yet to be cleared up who really is getting persecuted.
One way or another, even amid confessional differences, civil peace is preserved in Ukraine. It is impossible to inflame a language conflict. International – even more so. What remains is an interfaith row. Bartholomew’s visit is solely a pretext for mobilization of followers.
Political and religious conflict in Ukraine is Moscow’s ultimate goal. The thing is that electorally, Moscow has been losing more and more each time. If the Kremlin starts losing influence it exercises through church, it will be a loss of strategic level. It is much worse than seeing pro-Russian channels shut down or failing in elections.
The dilemma for the senior clergy of the ROCinU is that being a “church for Ukrainians” is more organic and profitable. The market is wider. But Moscow is increasingly driving it into an anti-Ukrainian niche, which amid curbing contacts with the Russian Federation drives it into a dead end. The main signal for the parishioners of the ROCinU is as follows: freedom of conscience – okay, while anti-Ukrainian politicization – not okay.
