Have the propagandists of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine found themselves in a hopeless situation? How else can one explain their recent trip to Russia to complain about “the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew.”
The event, announced as “international,” was held on October 20 under the “ROC flags” exclusively. The only ones who were willing to “throw a stone” at Patriarch Bartholomew and came to support the ROC were its own clerics in other countries and Serbs, who have a church being built for Russian money.
Head of the press service of the so-called “UOC-MP” (ROC in Ukraine), Viktor Anisimov, spoke in Russia at the “Actions of Phanar in Ukraine: Reflection in the Media Space” panel discussion. Silencing the facts of the Russian occupation of parts of Ukraine, Anisimov undertook to defend the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine, to which he referred as “UOC.”
In addition, the editor-in-chief of the “Foma in Ukraine” magazine (ROCinU’s media outlet), Archdeacon Oleksandr Karpenko, joined the condemnation of Phanar’s actions. He noted that the media of the ROC in Ukraine are “the only information resources telling about the facts of seizures and illegal re-registration of churches, violations of rights of the clergy and the faithful.” How about that?
That is, a representative of the ROC in Ukraine, went to his handlers near Moscow, to complain that his fellows are being persecuted and oppressed in Ukraine and that the temples are being “seized,” all the while turning a blind eye to the Russian occupation of certain areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as Crimea, the creation by Russia of terrorist organizations, and other crimes committed by this “Orthodox land” in its war with Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than seven years. So “Christian,” right? However, we shouldn’t expect anything different from the ROCinU clerics.
Moreover, the head of the ROCinU press service, Viktor Anisimov, branded the Unification Council in Ukraine a “crime without punishment.” Just reflect on this: in Russia, the unification of Ukrainians has been decried as a “crime.” This creates grounds for certain conclusions about the hostile efforts of the ROCinU media in Ukraine and the ROCinU as such…
The ROC websites presented the discussion as an “international event,” without disclosing the names of the attendees from other Local Churches. Judging by the fact that the representative of the ROC from the Moldovan Metropolis was mentioned by name, and the “representatives of other churches” were not, it can be concluded that there were no clergymen from other Local Churches at all, except Serbs (Archpriest Nikola Pejovic) and representatives of the “pocket” Churches loyal to the ROC, such as the ROCinU and the Moldovan Metropolis of the Moscow Patriarchate. There may have been some paid journalists from countries friendly to Russia, including Greece, Serbia and the like, but not clergy.
Concluding the discussion, the representative of the ROC, Archpriest Igor Yakymchuk, assured that their “point of view (that is, the point of view of the ROC – ed.) is shared in other Orthodox countries.” However, of the 15 other Local Churches, only a representative of the Serbian Church was present at the event.
