Secret code of Father Georgiy Kovalenko

On March 25, the programme "The Secret Code of Faith: Christians or Pagans" with the former speaker of the UOC Father Georgiy Kovalenko as a host was aired on the 1+1 channel.

Already in the title of the programme, we find an allusion to the novel by Dan Brown "Da Vinci Code", filmed in 2006. The hero of the movie, played by Tom Hanks, a professor devoid of religious "prejudices", discovers a "terrible secret" that threatens to shake the foundations of the Church. The gnostic heresy about Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail excavated from naphthalene is presented to the viewers of the "Da Vinci Code". Tales about the Templars and keepers of a terrible secret are clearly designed to tickle the nerves of TV viewers who like to chew popcorn in front of the screen.

The "teaser" of the programme "The Secret Code of Faith" also sets up for conspiracy. It turns out that for two thousand years the Church has not bothered to give answers to the fundamental questions of faith. And the viewer immediately realizes that this is no accident – behind all this there is a conspiracy of churchmen. In the first minute of the video, there is a staging scene in which Archpriest Georgiy Kovalenko expresses his disappointment with the Church. "I understand, – he says. – God does not sit in the offices of metropolitans; He is not in the gilded iconostases; He does not speak through the mouths of pompous theologians" (herewith, the icon of Nikolai the Wonder-worker is passing before the eyes of views). True, the Church has never claimed this, but Kovalenko does not care for such "trifles".

Then follows the footage in which Father Georgiy takes off the priest's robe and leaves the church, opening the doors wide. "I'm leaving," Kovalenko says, "to find the answers." All this creates the impression of his renunciation of the Church. It is clear that there was no official abdication. It can be assumed that the authors simply wanted to make a dramatic effect and create the right image of the host - a person who is not engaged in church Tradition (or "system," as Kovalenko himself put it in a Facebook comment), a secular man who "believes and doubts". Well, just like Professor Langdon from "Da Vinci Code."

Like the hero of the film, the host of the project "The Secret Code of Faith" also claims to reveal a secret that the Church hides. What questions did the Church not answer? It turns out that among these questions are "What was the real Jesus?" and "What is the real meaning of religious feasts?" Continuous déjà vu from the film. The statement that the Church allegedly does not answer these questions looks like the same conspiracy theory. And the opposition of the Church and its teachings to the "real world" is manipulation. Instead of a serious educational programme, we saw a show in the spirit of "Ukrainian sensations" or "Battle of psychics".

Then Fr. Georgiy opens the "terrible" secret – in Christianity there are still many pagan elements! At first it seems that he, as befits a priest, opposes the pagan delusions of the laity. But then you are surprised to realize that everything – just the opposite – looks like an apology for paganism. "The pagans were a developed civilization, and not savage idolaters," convinces the voice-over of the presenter. They "enjoyed democratic freedoms and rights," Kovalenko said.

That is, the biblical opposition of the "demon-loving" paganism to the light of Truth no longer satisfies Fr. Georgiy. At the same time, he for some reason considers the scale of trade during the reign of Prince Vladimir the only sign of "developed civilization". As for the reasons for Prince Vladimir's conversion to Christianity and the subsequent Baptism of Rus, Fr. Georgiy "enlightens" us here. The future saint of the Church adopted Christianity, because it "strengthened the state" and opened "foreign policy horizons". No repentance and renunciation of the immoral way of life. Exclusively politics.

Nobody denies that the ruler of Rus took into account secular interests. However, what’s in it for believers? What does Kovalenko want to convince viewers? Is it that Christianity is just a superstructure of "progressive" paganism? To hear such things from the lips of an Orthodox priest is at least strange. As well as the fact that the dates of the celebration of the Christian feasts were specially attached to pagan ones. Presumably, this should prove that the "real meaning" of Christian feasts is pagan?

However, such "arguments" are not new. They are constantly voiced by atheists and admirers of the "atheist" Emelian Yaroslavsky, whose primitiveness of works does not even need to be proved. Unfortunately, like paganism itself, these arguments are quite tenacious. Shocking is the fact that an Orthodox (still) priest voices them. The question arises: What for? The answer to this question is given by Kovalenko himself at the beginning of the programme, when he tells the viewers about his spiritual biography: "..was baptized, crowned, was the voice of the Church." "Was the voice of the Church" .. and then he was dismissed. Maybe it was the trigger of internal processes that led him into the arms of the opponents of the UOC?

Something tells me that right now Kovalenko is happy again. He has found himself. In the spotlight and the camera eye. I remember the episode from the series "Young Pope", when Cardinal Spencer in front of the mirror fancies himself a newly elected Pope, makes a pious face, blesses thousands of flock with smooth movements and enjoys a sense of his own power.

Vanity – can this be the secret code of Fr. Georgiy Kovalenko? His weakness, which was taken advantage by the enemies of the Church, signing him up for participation in the project of the television channel known for its hatred to the UOC. It is also notable that Fr. Andrey Dudchenko appears in the story for illustrative purpose, and the church of Metropolitan Alexander (Drabinko) serves as a decoration.

The second question is why filmmakers and screenwriters need this programme? As it was said, the "Pluses" systematically produce lies about the Church and its representatives. This project is no exception. Its task is to destroy the teachings of the Church, instill distrust towards church theologians and hierarchs, implant the idea that the main thing is national specifics, serving the people, secular interests, "the wisdom of the flesh." Not for nothing is the theme of the next broadcast – "Why the Church is ashamed of sex". We do not know how about sex, but of shame for this programme I want to close my eyes.