Why did Dumenko support "Georgian Maidan"?
Epifaniy Dumenko made a surprising statement, calling on Georgians to support the "pro-European" protests. Is this the voice of a church leader or a politician?
On December 3, 2024, the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko, issued a statement that essentially supported the protests in Georgia organized by opposition forces.
"The Orthodox Church of Ukraine and me personally, as its Primate, pray for the people of Georgia, we wish our brothers and sisters to protect their independence and their future as a free European nation. The truth will prevail! May God bless all who are on the side of truth!" Dumenko wrote.
From a political perspective, the words of the OCU leader sound like direct interference in the affairs of another state, while from a Christian standpoint, they seem to contradict the principles outlined in the Gospel.
Calls for protests and violence?
In his statement, Dumenko expressed a desire for God to bless the Georgians who stand on the "side of truth." There is no doubt that by "truth," Epifaniy meant the opposition, which is organizing protests in Georgia. The problem, however, is that any large-scale protests inevitably exacerbate the political situation in the country, provoke conflicts, and almost always end in violence.
For this reason, the Georgian Church, shortly after the start of active confrontations, called on all parties to respect each other's views and refrain from violence "for the sake of the Christian spirit."
It goes without saying that the position of the Georgian Patriarchate is more in line with the Gospel than Dumenko's stance. After all, in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).
Georgia is a country with a centuries-old Christian tradition. Its people are spiritually guided by the Georgian Orthodox Church, which is autocephalous, or independent. This means that only its representatives have the right to give moral and spiritual assessments of events within the country.
In this context, Dumenko’s words appear highly unethical because his statement undermines the position of the Georgian Church, making him seem more "democratic" and "progressive" by comparison. It’s akin to a passerby who, seeing the father trying to separate his two brawling sons, encourages the brothers to continue fighting, suggesting that the elder should win.
Why was this statement made?
Until now, only politicians from abroad had commented on the "Georgian Maidan." No religious leaders had expressed views on this issue. Thus, Dumenko’s statement appears quite unusual. Why was it made?
There could be several reasons, all of them political.
First, it is possible that Dumenko hopes to "capitalize" on the protests if the opposition succeeds. In such a scenario, Dumenko’s structure might have a chance of being recognized by the Georgian Church through government pressure on the Patriarchate. Moreover, the escalation of protests, violence, and conflicts increases the opposition’s chances of coming to power. Harsh as it may sound, escalation benefits the OCU. Unfortunately.
Second, even if he has such interests, it is unlikely that Dumenko acted on his own initiative. If the protests fail, the Georgian Church’s stance on not recognizing the OCU could become even more unyielding – hardly a favorable outcome for Dumenko. He must be aware of this. At least.
Thus, it’s plausible that he was "asked" to speak out and support the position of the Western "democratic community." Who asked him? Likely the same forces that lobbied for the creation of the OCU in 2018.
On the other hand, Dumenko’s words may have been prompted by certain political circles within Ukraine, who are eager to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the West.
The day following the statement made by the OCU leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also made a "Georgian" statement, announcing sanctions against the Georgian government for "surrendering Georgia to Putin." Those sanctioned included the country’s prime minister, the founder of the Georgian Dream Party, the mayor of Tbilisi, the ministers of internal affairs, culture, sports, youth, regional development, and infrastructure, among others.
Regardless of who was behind Dumenko’s statement, it is clear that these politicians continue to use the OCU to advance their own agendas.
Conclusions
The Church, founded by Christ, is called to remain apolitical because its mission is to save souls, not participate in power struggles. Christ clearly separated the spiritual from the earthly, saying: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s" (Matthew 22:21). The Church’s role is to lead people to God, serve as a moral and spiritual beacon for society, and teach love, peace, and understanding.
The "Georgian" statement by the head of the OCU, however, is that of a politician acting in the immediate interests of certain geopolitical forces.
It fits neatly into the broader context of the OCU functioning as a "player" on the domestic and international political stage. However, it has little to do with the Gospel.
