Who Spiritually "Patronizes" Church Raiders?
During the last two years, representatives of the UOC-KP have committed a number of seizures of the UOC churches. Thus, the first of the denominations above mentioned denies the fact of being engaged in such activities. They say that the official position is against seizures of places of worship of the UOC. However, analyzing the events, we’ll try to determine whether in practice the UOC-KP supporters hold the official position.
The Church without hierarchy?
It is well known that the structure of the Church itself is hierarchical. So when the head of the UOC-KP, who claims to that title, said that fights at the churches and the so-called "transitions of communities" are an initiative of the people themselves, I want to ask: who blesses them to such misdeeds? Or yet, the official position has nothing to do with the real state of affairs?
It seems that the "patriarch", "priests" and the laity are some specific substances, independent of each other. Those who stand above do not seem to bless hostile takeovers, however, such actions are not prevented, and rebels who go against their fellow villagers with fights and curses are warmly welcomed in the UOC-KP.
It is obvious: the Church as such cannot accept such a situation. However, let's take a closer look at the situation and find out whether the laity of the UOC-KP, taking over churches, is on their own.
Provocation in Pochayiv
Viewing a video about the provocation against Pochayiv Lavra in 2014, we see interesting facts. Near the shrine are the representatives of the UOC-KP, calling to return Lavra to Ukrainian people (I wonder who it, according to their logic, belongs now?). They even call the name of the initiator - "Father" Anatoly Zinkevych, who is the founder of the initiative "Ukrainian shrines to Ukrainian people." Monitoring the web for "UOC KP Anatoly Zinkevych" gives a lot of contradictory and confusing information. So, in 2012 some media reported that he was excommunicated from the UOC-KP, others denied it.
Whatever the activity of the odious "father" is, we should admit that in the video with the adherents of the UOC-KP near Pochayiv Lavra, criticizing the UOC, his name is called. Video is dated 2014. Therefore, we can assume that Anatoly Zinkevych has not been suspended from service, or even after suspension he still has a powerful spiritual influence on all followers who are ready to defend his ideas.
It is worth noting that Mr. Zinkevych is a brother of two "metropolitans" of the UOC-KP – of Lutsk and Volyn Michael (also known for his odious remarks) and of Dnipropetrovsk and Kryvyi Rih Simeon. So obviously the courageous "father", gaining such a strong support, is not afraid of anything and actively promoting his own ideas to masses. And the masses, as the facts show, gladly support him. In the video near the Lavra we see a lot of the UOC-KP clergy. The question is: what about the official position? What about the priest's inability to act without the bishop's blessing? It interestingly turns out: the leaders of the religious organization are against provocation, and the ordinary members – for? Is hierarchy no longer a sign of Orthodox confessions? Although ... Perhaps, these people in the video are not priests? Maybe, they bought church vestments in a shop and put it for credibility? Nay! No official resources of the UOC-KP placed information that someone had disguised themselves in a clerical dress to commit provocation near the Lavra. Therefore, the conclusion is obvious: if these people are not disowned, they are members of the UOC-KP. Just the UOC-KP elites feel probably convenient to have an official position for the public and in specific cases to use the rule of "the end justifies the means." To deny actions, however, doesn’t mean to turn their back on the people who commit them...
Uhryniv case
In the video which depicts the seizure of the Holy Cross church in the village of Uhryniv we see that a representative of the UOC-KP is on the side of the raiders who started a fight. A typical clerical vestment gives away this person. So, it becomes obvious that the raider seizure was committed not just with the tacit approval of the UOC-KP member, but with his blessing. The moral imperative of the point is clear, but we are mostly interested in the fact that contrary to the official position of the religious organization, its representatives incite inter-faith confrontation.
Conflict in Kolosova village
The video on confrontation in the village of Kolosova is quite interesting. The UOC-KP representatives do not mask, give interviews and say that even if the authorities recognize the illegal transfer of the parish, they will file a claim. As it turns out they are aimed not to protect the rights of believers but to trivially take over the church?
Conflict in Pasechna village
While viewing the video on a pseudo-referendum on the transition of the church in vlg. Pasechna, we see that it is headed by the cleric of the UOC-KP. Thus, members of this denomination do not just "support" the community’s right to change the jurisdiction – they urge people, inciting religious confrontation.
Notorious Zalukhiv case
Turning to the situation in Volyn, we should mention Zalukhiv village, where again emerges the name of Zinkevych – not Anatoly but Michael (who's his brother). The video shows how the "metropolitan" gives himself away with a lie. Following this video, we can conclude who was actually behind the raider actions, and whether it was a support of the initiative of the majority of the villagers as it was later presented to the public.
Hrybovytsia events
The events that took place in the village of Hrybovytsia also speak for themselves. At night the UOC-KP members took over the UOC church and held worship there. Could they serve it without a "priest"? The question is rhetorical, so let’s go ahead.
Kuty case
The video from the village of Kuty is also eloquent: a religious confrontation was provoked by a particular representative of the UOC-KP, who led the faithful of this religious organization to the church, claiming that they arrived on the request of Kuty residents.
Referring to the documents
As we see in all the above cases not only the laity, but also clerics of the UOC-KP denomination are featured. Thus, it can be concluded that the official documents of the organization, which are published on its website, entirely contradict the reality. So, it is convenient for the senior management to disown the actions of their subordinates, expecting that they will do all the dirty job.
A communique signed by the press center of the Kyiv Patriarchate goes that the religious organization is committed to the unification with the UOC and is not interested in actions that fuel discord. If the management does not consider the above mentioned actions as fueling discord, we dread to think what they mean by that.
So why is there still no unity?
The aforementioned facts are the answer to this question. Of course, the church dissent, which in these hard times is overhanging our state, cannot be taken as something normal. And to overcome it appropriate actions are needed, not power pressure covered with pseudo-spirituality. Therefore, it is necessary to understand: we can only negotiate with the particular subjects who are willing to, and not with those who allow their representatives to seize churches and in official documents – renounce the actions of their own raiders. And the UOC-KP clerics should consider the following: if they are brought to legal liability, their religious organization does not share it with them, because on paper it does not support such actions.
