Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Loyalty to Moscow?

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was accompanied by a proclamation of autonomy by a segment of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, whose leader is known as the Kyiv Patriarch. Another part of the Orthodox Church - the so-called Moscow Patriarchate - recognizes the Patriarch in Russia. Both churches claim millions of followers and also reflect Ukraine's political divide between those who favor closer ties with Russia and those seeking to orient their country towards Europe. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report from Kyiv.

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[talinnia]

Moscow's patriarchate is not more than a political institution... They have no right to be in Ukraine

[AlexeiMV]

VOA forgot to mention that actually there is no any "kiev patriarchate". So-called "kiev patriarchate" isn't recognized by the World Orthodoxy. They are schismatics.

[Antiphyletist]

@AGDIRGIA Moscow only has canonical authority over "Russia and the Far Northern Territories" and Kiev was independent for a very long time after the Moscow Patriarchate was created.

[AGDIRGIA]

@MiddletownDreamz If you ever studied Orthodoxy, you would understand that the "patriarchate of Ukraine" is illegitimate. It does not follow the rules of Orthodoxy and is therefore not part of the Body of Christ. Anyway, Jesus Christ said that one can pray anywhere, even near a statue of Lenin, who, you are right, was a terrible person who killed thousands of Orthodox.

[AGDIRGIA]

It doesn't matter what the people want. The fact is that the Ukrainian Church canonically belongs to the Russian Church until the Russian Church, with the whole Synod of Bishops (including the Ukrainian ones) decides that Ukraine should have its own Church. It is completely uncanonical to just leave and make a church without being released by the Mother Church. The Macedonians have done the same thing.

[MiddletownDreamz]

@iBox87 Ha some church! How Christian of them to pray near a statue to a mass murdering atheistic tyrant. The MP has exposed itself for being the fraud that they are.

[watcherwatcher2]

Kiev Lavra was established in 11th century with adoption of Orthodox Christianity in Ancient Rus. Following the Mongol annihilation of Kiev in the 13th century, the Metropolitan of Kiev moved to Vladimir in 1299. By 1326, the Metropolitan had settled in Moscow, and by 1328 had changed the title of Metropolitan of Kiev for the title Metropolitan of Moscow. Kiev Patriarchate was organized in 1991 and is NOT recognized by any other canonical Orthodox churches of the world.

[iBox87]

Orthodox church moscow partriach is the only religious organization in Ukraine that supported an individual in the presidential election ( Victor Yanukovich ) and right before the election they had a gathering at the statue of Lenin to pray for the candidate

[snowboarderdude]

The Patriarch must be located in Ukrainian and not in Russia...it does not make sense to have a Patriarch there especially if the church is Ukrainian! You might as well call it Russia Orthodox rather the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox...

[majorgeeek]

Moscow = Dark Side

[LightOnTheDarkness]

Just because they are not recognized, doesn't mean they are not there.Just a matter of time, there will be so many, they will have to be recognized. Kyiv is Ukraine. Muskovy was just a bush and a shack when Volodymyr set the standard, In Kyiv, not Muscovy.The Flock has always been there-Kyril and his sheep need to clip the fleece from their eyes, so that they see the re-emerging reality.Saying that you don't see, doesn't mean you're blind,but simply have a touch of 'attention deficit disorder'.