The ROC couldn’t care less about Orthodox canons as they are building their own version of Orthodoxy – the global Russian church. Between faith and Russia’s government, the Moscow Patriarchate chose the latter. This is the end of Orthodoxy for the Moscow Patriarchate as before our eyes a new ethno-confessional community is being formed, which is separating itself from Orthodoxy.
That’s according to an oped by theologian Dmytro Horevoi, published on LB.ua.
The Russian Church has grown indifferent to the World Orthodoxy project. For them, it all comes down to the idea of building a global Russian church. They now have parishes on every continent: from Japan to Jamaica, from Arkhangelsk to Johannesburg. They are ready to take into their ranks all those who express loyalty, regardless of a candidate’s canonical background. They are invading other territories, ready to embrace old-style schismatics (especially since the ROC also serves in the old style)… A new ethno-confessional community is being formed before our eyes, which is separating itself from Orthodoxy,” Horevoi said.
He added that this new Church, which is being built by the ROC, will be typologically similar to the Armenian or Anglican Church – that is, a kind of national church, with its slogan being “ROC for Russians.” “At the same time, they will condemn Greeks and Ukrainians for nationalism and ethnophyletism. The Church of the Defeated Orwell,” says Horevoi.
“Over time, their religion is becoming less Orthodox and more Russian national. Look at their victory cult, which is also supported by the church. Their faith is Russian messianism, their Easter is May 9, and their cathedral is a temple of the armed forces,” the theologian suggested.
According to him, it is not for nothing that the “African adventure” will be financed by the Russian Foreign Ministry, as the ROC now has the opportunity to seize any territory.
“The ROC, having multiplied the canon law by zero, now has the opportunity to invade any territory. There will be soft power of the Kremlin everywhere, and no rules of decency limit them. This is a purposeful strategy: the Wagner PMC, the Roscosmos agreement with Zimbabwe, interference in elections and support for the regimes, and now the ROC’s African Exarchate – these are all dotted lines. In this story we are focusing on the fact that between faith and government, the ROC chose government. This is the end of Orthodoxy for the Moscow Patriarchate,” said the religious scholar.
It should be recalled that Horevoi earlier declared that canonical perfection is not important to ROC, the main thing for them is to flip off an opponent. He is also convinced that 102 African clerics who joined the ROC will not be able to even find Ukraine on a map.
On January 2, 2022, the head of the ROC’s external church relations department, Hilarion (Alfeev), announced what appears to be an invasion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by the ROC. In particular, he stated that the ROC cannot deny spiritual nourishment to Turkish Orthodox faitful.
Religious expert Oleksandr Yefremenko noted that the Moscow Patriarchate has taken another step into the abyss of self-isolation. He noted that the eparchial centers of the ROC in Africa will be located in the areas where Wagner PMC units are based.
