The Ukraine crisis has led to a deepening divide between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, with the latter taking a hardline stance. This conflict, which has been developing for several years, has recently escalated from disagreements to open accusations of heresy. The underlying cause of this schism is the political conflict between Russia and the West, with Ukraine at its core.
The turning point in the dispute occurred in 2018 when the Patriarchate of Constantinople granted Kiev a tomos of autocephaly, endorsing its independence from the Moscow Patriarchate. As a result, the Russian Orthodox Church severed ties with Constantinople. However, following the start of the Russian military offensive in 2022, tensions have further worsened. Orthodox Christians have been forced to align themselves with political loyalties at the expense of religious unity.
The Russian Orthodox Church held a significant Bishops’ Conference in July at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad. The conference, which had not been convened for six years due to various reasons, was primarily focused on the relationship between the ROC and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, as well as the situation of believers in Ukraine. The Russian Church declared a direct confrontation with Constantinople, accusing it of distorting Orthodox doctrine.
The disagreements between Constantinople and Moscow originate from the establishment of an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities decided to create their own church separate from the ROC, with support from the Ecumenical Patriarch. This led to the revocation of a 17th-century decree that placed the Kiev Metropolis under Moscow’s jurisdiction. The Russian Orthodox Church saw these actions as encroachments on its territory and suspended communion with Constantinople.
In December 2018, a unification council of Orthodox churches in Ukraine took place in Kiev, electing Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kiev as the head of the new church structure, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). In early 2019, the Ecumenical Patriarch granted the OCU the tomos of autocephaly. The ROC criticized Constantinople’s actions as a violation of church canons and accused it of attempting to remove the only powerful Orthodox force in the world.
The situation in Ukraine has resulted in persecution against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) by Ukrainian authorities, with instances of arrests, assaults on clergy, desecration of holy sites, legal proceedings against bishops, and expulsion of Orthodox communities from their churches. The Russian Church claims that this schism has hindered spiritual communion between the ROC and a significant portion of the Greek Orthodox world.
Constantinople’s foreign policy, particularly the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian Church, has served as an example for other post-Soviet countries. Lithuanian authorities have appealed to Patriarch Kirill, requesting full independence for the Lithuanian Orthodox Church. In March of this year, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople expressed support for Lithuania’s wish to separate from Moscow.
Similar requests for independence have also been made by the Latvian Orthodox Church. In response, the Russian Church condemns these initiatives and claims they interfere with its canonical territory. This situation could result in Constantinople gaining control of new churches in Lithuania and Latvia, while Moscow may lose many of its territories, parishes, and congregations.
The schism between the ROC and the Patriarchate of Constantinople has led to a significant division within the Orthodox world. The politicization of religious unity has caused conflicts between churches and has raised questions about the unity of Christianity as a whole. The ongoing Ukraine crisis continues to deepen the divide between the second and third ‘Rome’, with no clear resolution in sight.
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