Tag: Orthodox Church

This year, on July 11 the Greek authorities announced expulsion of two Russian diplomats. According to the official version, such actions were predetermined by an attempt to bribe a number of the Greek officials and priests of Greek Orthodox Church committed by the Russian diplomacy’s representatives. By the way, Greece is one of the few European states, which did not expel the Russian diplomats in response to poisoning of the former intelligence agent Sergey Skripal early in March in Britain by the Russian intelligence agencies. However, possibly even the patience of the Greek government came to end, despite of their more than loyal relation to Moscow.

Well, why then bribing priests, especially, representatives of the Athos monastery and Greek Metropolis? Everything is as simple as ABC – the Russian authorities uses the Russian Orthodox Church to interfere the Ukrainian Church with receiving autocephaly. They are seeking support of as many as possible representatives of orthodox clergy before the decisive meeting of the Synod at the beginning of September. Since the Russian Church, just as the whole Russian state, is governed by people with the semi-criminal past and without showy talents, they got used to act quite primitively – through threats and bribes.

However, the bribes are only one thing, another is explicit blackmail and threats. Head of the Russian Church – Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly stated that acknowledgement of the Ukrainian autocephaly will result in religious split and war in Ukraine. At the same time, he delicately kept silence about the fact of blessing given to the Russian tanks with the Russian soldiers and mercenaries in the Crimea and in the east of Ukraine by representatives of the Russian Church.

Nevertheless, such position of the Russian Patriarch has a common sense. From the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the increasing number of the Ukrainian Orthodox Christians has no wish to associate themselves with the Moscow Patriarchy of Ukrainian Orthodox Church – branch of the Russian Church in Ukraine, and pass to the control of the Kiev Patriarchy, in fact independent Ukrainian Church. Thereby the Russian government loses another if not the last substantial leverage over internal Ukrainian policy.

Who was appointed guilty of religious split in Ukraine? Well, there are a lot of options, though the Catholic Church is deemed to be the main originator for these processes taking great efforts to separate Ukraine from the womb of Russian Orthodoxy and having imposed their values and beliefs. Good thing, they have confined themselves to outlandish ideas instead of announcing a crusade against the Roman throne.

In fact, the Russian clergy is capable of provocations both in Ukraine and in other states where Orthodoxy is the prevailing religion. In this purpose, they can gain advantage of the Russian security services’ support, which work in close rapport with the Russian Church in addition to their own powers. We may anticipate attacks of the representatives of the Moscow Patriarchy in Ukraine by alleged “Ukrainian nationalists” that will be immediately presented as beginning of religious war by the Russian media. Some other orthodox churches loyal or completely controllable by the Russian Church may declare boycott to decisions of the Constantinople Patriarchy that will result in a true church split.

This makes a very old Moscow’s dream to become the center of global Orthodoxy come true, though restricted to some extent. Antioch, Georgian, Bulgarian and Serbian Churches seem to be the most probable candidates for this “membership club”. There is no single answer to the question about the incentives for their management to resign themselves to Moscow control. Possibly it can be money, compromising evidence or both. Russians are ready for everything in order to avoid creating a new competitor in the face of the Ukrainian Church.

It is ok if they avoid human victims. As practice shows, in order to achieve their purposes Russia, which may be equated to the Russian church, spares no efforts. During next weeks we may see different manifestations of religious madness among the Russian clergy and government officials. Is such problem solution approach reasonable? By all means, no. Though, as stated above, they are not able to solve them in other way…

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We all live in corporate world, this fact is beyond any doubts. It has some specific rules – the success is not just money, but money plus the influence on the people, which bring you some ability to enlarge your profit.

There are different types of corporations. Some of them produce cellphones, some of them produce food, some of them are prominent players in the fashion industry, and some of them produce believe in God. Yes, the religion is just the same commodity as food, electronic devices and the competition here is much harder than any other business faces with.

If we take a look on any religion, it is worth to admit that any religion has its dark sides, especially when we talk about the financial sources. Still the world has been changing and minimalism style has been the new trend. The Pope of Rome chooses bijouterie instead of jewelries, and uses budget sedan instead of special vehicle. His colleague from the Russian Orthodox church, patriarch Kirill, lives just the opposite life. The great number of golden church plates, golden headdresses could be explained by the traditions of Orthodox Church. Nevertheless, there is no explanation for expensive watches, premium-class cars, personal yacht and private jet, it looks like vanity and mercantilism. At the same time, Russian Patriarch never spent money on charity nevertheless his estate is more than 3 billion dollars.

It is his own decision how to spend his money. However, that financial issues insult the Patriarchy and reach international level. We mentioned the term “corporation” for a reason, as it is just what Russian Orthodox Church is now. What is the biggest threat to the business? Right – it is loosing of its assets’ cost and profit of it. The biggest asset of Moscow patriarchy is Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow patriarchy, the branch which is totally controlled by Moscow in Ukrainian territory.

In short, Orthodox Church in Ukraine is divided into two main branches, and the difference between them is just the jurisdiction – the Moscow patriarchy is under direct control of Moscow while Kyiv patriarchy insists on its independence for the last 20 years. Recently, Kyiv patriarchy has got the real chance to become independent, to receive the Thomos (the act of recognition, granted by World patriarch). To tell that Russian reaction was extremely negative means to tell nothing. Their opponents faced with information attacks, threats of religious war coming soon, threats of separation of Orthodox world and other apocalyptic scenarios.

The issue of belief is secondary for Russian Orthodox Church, the main issue is the fear to lose its estates in Ukraine, and therefore to lose the profits. It is quite real. Ukrainian Orthodox church of Moscow patriarchy has got solid losses (the annexation of Crimea, war in Donbas and “green people” did their job well). The number of Ukrainians who want to stay in Russian church decreased. There were lots of facts when people demanded their congregations to be incorporated into Kyiv patriarchy, not in Moscow one. It looks like the returning of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to Kyiv patriarchy will occur in the near future. That is completely unacceptable for Russian patriarch.

Instead of defending its position in the spheres of theology Russian church started out with threats and blackmailing. We have just mentioned the main theses of Moscow patriarchy, which were formulated in quite brutal manner and were sent to World patriarch Bartolomeus. Those who know Russian patriarch cannot be surprised by that fact. He is used to such methods. Since his teen age, he actively cooperated with KGB, he denounced his classmates and professors to security services. Such activity is the reason for rocketed career of today’s patriarch.

After the breakup of the USSR current patriarch started the schemes of cigarettes import with no customs fees, which gave him opportunity to become monopolist in this business activity. That is why current Moscow patriarch obtained the nickname “tobacco bishop” (his church rank at that time) and got the first capital, which was based on smuggling and illicit activity. Patriarch definitely uses the mask of decency and piety, but he is greedy person who is doing whatever it takes to save and to multiply his money.

That is why we do not need to be astonished with the methods of Russian church, methods of gang members who are trying to monopolize the whole Orthodox Church in the world. If the threats and blackmailing do not work, bribery will be used – you need something more, you have to pay.

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