Enchanted Circle of the "Russian World"

How Ukrainian refugees strengthen the Moscow Patriarchate

Millions of Orthodox Ukrainians abroad remain without protection from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. And while the Ukrainian authorities are thinking about how to return as many refugees to Ukraine as possible, and are appealing to "Western partners" with requests not to integrate Ukrainian citizens into their society, an almost reverse process is taking place in the church environment. Ukrainian Orthodox people "integrate" very actively. Often in any denomination, except Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) can do little in this matter: according to the Tomos on Autocephaly, it does not have the right to establish parishes on the "canonical territory" of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – which is almost all of Western Europe. However, the limitation of the Tomos is not the only problem.

The Tomos and its "friends"

The Tomos refers to autocephaly and it does not allow the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to have a church in the diaspora – this was one of the fundamental points of the agreement between Kyiv and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This decision looked very dubious already at the time of signing the Tomos – after all, there were several dozen parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) operating abroad, which had no intention of converting "to the Greek Church." But we really acutely felt these limitations only now.

"Back in 2018, at the beginning of 2019, when this whole story with the diaspora came to light, we had a meeting of the deanery at which we voted to remain with the Kyiv throne," says the priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in Germany named Petro Bokanov. – Our then dean turned to the bishop who represents the Patriarchate of Constantinople here. But we did not receive any answer. At that time, for the first and last time, I managed to get an audience with the Most Blessed Epiphanius. It lasted several minutes. We simply handed him the dean's decision. We also had a meeting with Patriarch Filaret – he was not yet in the "front" at that time, and during the time of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) we were subordinated to him. The Patriarch told us that there are no problems at all and everything will be as it was before.

But since then, we have not had any communication with Kyiv – that is, with the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) – at the official level. We seem to have been shut out of this sphere. We don't even get Easter greetings."

No matter what Patriarch Filaret thought about the "formal" nature of the Tomos, he quickly became convinced that he had miscalculated. He himself was "removed" from managing the church. And foreign parishes seem to have been cut off. As former parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), they consider themselves part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). But no confirmations of this affiliation – as well as its denial – are not received from Kyiv.

The European bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, for their part, were very jealous of the exclusive right to spiritually appease the Ukrainian Orthodox.

"Here, in Europe, there are parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOC of USA (Ecumenical Patriarchate)," says Petro Bokanov. – They perceive us as competitors. Even before the Tomos, we had a certain opposition: the episcopal conferences, which includes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (UOC of USA), as well as the Greeks, Romanians, and others, wrote resolutions that we were schismatics and impostors. And now little has changed in their rhetoric. But now, for example, they accuse us of not having bishops. And this is partly true – since 2019, we are here without a bishop."

But the problem is not so much how representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate perceive or not perceive the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in "its canonical territory", but how the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) itself perceives its mission abroad.

Since receiving the Tomos, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) preferred to "ignore" the diaspora. Ukrainians in Europe reported in a private conversation that when they asked the Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to send a priest to the parish, they received a sacramental answer: "Read the Tomos." A Ukrainian priest can serve in a European parish only if he officially passes from the subordination of the bishop of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to the subordination of the local ruling bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This serf psychology in Orthodox priests (and bishops) is so strong that it is a reliable safeguard against violating the boundaries of the "canonical territory".

"Once a refugee priest called me from the city of Kiel," continues priest Petro.  – He said that people ask him to conduct church services, but he himself cannot do it – he is afraid, because he does not have the permission of the bishop. Church services never took place. This is the situation: one denomination sets the boundaries of mercy and pastoral care for another, and the latter, bowing its head, accepts these boundaries. Even despite the war. In my opinion, this is an anti-Christian position – from both sides."

Fortunately, not all Greeks are so jealous. And in some "canonical territories" the desire of the priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to provide spiritual care to Ukrainians finds understanding. For example, a favorable situation for Orthodox Ukrainians has developed in Cyprus.

"When I arrived on the island, first of all I met with the head of the Church of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop George," says holy father Petro Zuev, chaplain for Ukrainians in Cyprus.  – Bishop George impressed me with his Christian simplicity. I started to show my church documents, but the bishop stopped me: "Let's go without these formalities, we are not Russians. Ukrainians and Greeks are Orthodox Christians. We will help you in everything." So I was able to perform the church liturgy in the Ukrainian language in various churches in Cyprus."

In contrast to Western Europe, where the relatively few Orthodox are divided among several church structures, in Orthodox Cyprus the Church of Nicosia feels much more confident. And that is why the leaders of this church can afford to be generous. At least against the backdrop of war.

Catchers of human souls

The situation with the presence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) outside Ukraine could – and should – have changed against the background of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation: if the right of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) to the "church in the diaspora" can be argued with reference to the Tomos, then the issue of refugees is a completely different matter.

The church could become one of the ways to keep people in the Ukrainian context, to prevent them from dispersing and losing touch with their native land. But in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Europe, there is a decided lack of "pastoral capacities" for this.

"When our refugees started arriving, we expected that some significant changes would take place," says priest Petro Bokanov. – Indeed, on October 18 last year, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) synod decided to establish a chaplaincy mission to care for refugees abroad. At that time, I was the first to sign an application for chaplain service among refugees. But in the end, nothing happened. At least in our country. The situation is slightly different, for example, in Poland. After all, there is no Ecumenical Patriarchate there – there is its own autocephalous church, which does not recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Therefore, in Poland, our priests work relatively freely. But they, like us, have no communication with Kyiv. They work because they have a normal pastoral responsibility. In Poland, as well as in our country, there are a lot of refugees – more than a million people. So, in Germany, for this mass of people from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), there is only me and one more priest in Berlin."

According to the official information provided to ZN.UA by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (SSUEFC), in about a year (June 2022 - September 2023), it sent requests for permission to travel abroad to 6,100 representatives of churches and religious organizations. Among the "traditional" denominations, Greek Catholics are in the lead - 1,590 people. Also, 749 representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and 347 representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) received permits.

This, of course, is not all. Not all priests need permission – among them are elderly people and parents with many children. In addition, such permission can be obtained not only through the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience line. So, it can be said that during the full-scale war, not a few clergymen crossed the Ukrainian border.

But this did not solve the problem of the lack of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) priests for Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

Sources in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) claim that the priests are in no hurry to go on a chaplaincy mission for refugees. Judging by what priest Petro Bokanov says, of the 749 permissions issued by the State Security Service to representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), few were issued specifically for the purpose of spiritual guardianship of Ukrainians abroad.

The problem, as is often the case, is measured in monetary terms. And it is decided mainly in those places where the money "comes" to the church itself.

"The opening of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) mission in Cyprus was the initiative of a local businessman and member of the Cypriot Parliament, Christodoulos Ellinas. He helps many Ukrainian projects on the island, says holy father Petro Zuev.  – When I first flew to the island, I had no idea how expensive life there was. And it's good that he couldn't imagine it. Because if I had known about it, I would not have dared to make such a decision. After all, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) is a poor church, we are not supported by oligarchs or big business. The church does not have the funds to support priests who serve abroad, especially in such expensive countries as Cyprus. But an accident helped me – I met Ukrainian entrepreneur Mykola Sushka, who happened to be in Cyprus. He helped me a lot in the organization of the parish. I'll say frankly: if it weren't for Chris Ellinas and Mykola Sushko, my mission in Cyprus would most likely not have been long."

Unfortunately, in the "canonical territory" of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the situation is much more severe - both in terms of "canonical pressure" and the search for funding. Father Petro Bokanov bitterly notes that since the beginning of the war, he received many offers of help and simply warm words from Catholics and Protestants in Germany, but not a single word of support from the local "Orthodox brothers".

But he is sure that even in this not too favorable environment, the mission of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) can be organized.

"Unfortunately, we do not have any sponsorship here," admits priest Petro Bokanov. 

– Financing of my activity, for example, is provided by work. In addition, people give some small donations. The prices for payment of church sacraments and candles are voluntary in our country – as long as I work, I can afford it. Instead, we support wounded and military medics in Ukraine. After the start of the war, the Germans themselves donated considerable sums to us, and we sent this money to the doctors, some of the medicines were purchased here.

You can always find a way out. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) priests can come here, register as refugees, receive financial aid and conduct church services. Places for these services can be negotiated. For example, I rent one church from Protestants and one from Catholics, everyone is happy to meet us. Yes, here it is quite difficult to live normally with the money earned from parish sacrifices. But you can come up with something."

Both interlocutors of ZN.UA note that there is a great demand for priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and for the Ukrainian church in general abroad.

"I had more than a hundred sacraments of baptism this year alone," says priest Petro Bokanov. 

– But the most tragic situation is with funerals. Because baptisms can at least be postponed to another day. And when a person dies, it is necessary to immediately bury him and hold a funeral. And I can't always go to the place where such a burial ceremony needs to be held. I cannot consecrate all those who want to – after all, people are buried without the sacraments. I advise people to go to Greek Catholics, but not everyone wants to. And there are also wounded – I have been doing this since 2015. Since March of last year, a huge number of wounded, distributed among different hospitals, began. They need support. I don't understand how it is possible during a large-scale war not to take care of your temporary displaced people, whose relatives are at the front and whose relatives are dying..."

However, church demand is not only quantitative, but also qualitative. The Ukrainian church can give a lot not only to its parishioners who are temporarily abroad. The entire world Orthodox community is waiting for a powerful modern church project. What the Ukrainian church should become.

"I can divide the request for the Ukrainian church into two aspects," says holy father Petro Zuev. 

– The first is, relatively speaking, "Ukrainian Easter" and "needs of Ukrainians." During the war, many of our compatriots – and, by the way, not only in the diaspora – felt themselves to be Ukrainians. They become more integrated into Ukrainian culture, begin to speak Ukrainian on the street and at home, read books on Ukrainian history, etc. Belonging to the Ukrainian church in this context is one of the important components of the new identity.

The second aspect is that the "Ukrainian product" is perceived as creative. And I believe that Ukrainian Orthodoxy should be creative and modern. For Cypriots, the church is first of all a tradition, I would call this approach "evangelism through rite". And among Ukrainians, I noticed a request for the high meaning embedded in the concept of church."

From "Russian World" to "Russian World"

Indifference (at best) to the fate of those who went abroad is our national trait. However, in practice, the refusal of spiritual guardianship of those who left Ukraine can lead to very disturbing consequences for our country. And the problem is not even that someone integrates and will not return. The problem may be precisely with those people who will return.

"A good place will not be empty," reminds the priest Petro Bokanov.  – The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad have always been widely represented in Europe. And now the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has joined them. It has only been a year since this church started working abroad – earlier Moscow did not allow it to do this, but now, you see, the tactics have changed – and it already has parishes in all major cities of Germany. They have money for it – unlike us. Their bishop visits them regularly – again, unlike ours. They have enough priests. As a result, the Russian Church and its projection, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), are strengthened at the expense of Ukrainian refugees."

At the same time, holy father Petro Zuev notes that in Cyprus he does not feel pressure from the structures of the Moscow Patriarchate. Unlike the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Europe, the Church of Nicosia "keeps the perimeter" from church expansion from Moscow.

"The Moscow Patriarchate does not know how to compete and does not want to compete," says the chaplain.  – Where they have such an opportunity, they simply try to establish a religious monopoly by declaring competitors "out of the canon." And where there are no such opportunities, they simply lose. Today, the Russian Orthodox Church is dead. There are some people who are still alive in this structure, but in general the Moscow Patriarchate is a dead structure. Once, in a private conversation, a leading hierarch of the Patriarchate of Constantinople told me: "I do not consider the Russian Orthodox Church a church, it is a state structure." I agree with this opinion. The modern Moscow Patriarchate is not a church – it is something like special Russian spirit. People intuitively feel this change and treat the Russian Orthodox Church accordingly."

But, unfortunately, in Western Europe, the bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate only help the Russian Church to collect a generous harvest of impoverished Ukrainian souls. The main rival of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Russian Orthodox Church, received the main benefit from the fact that Greek priests were arrogant towards Ukrainian priests.

And, of course, Ukraine will suffer the biggest losses. The situation is absurd: people who were forced to flee from the Russian army become easy prey for Russian priests, who gently, in a roundabout way, lead them to the same "Russian world" from whose weapons they barely escaped. And there is no way out of this vicious circle.

As for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), it was able to "wait out the storm" in Western Europe – away from the Ukrainian authorities and Russian missiles, closer to sponsors, who now also prefer to anchor in some quiet European harbor. No matter what happens to the structure of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in Ukraine – up to the legislative prohibition of its activities – it still has a chance to return to our country later. The church will return to Ukraine together with its parishioners, i.e. refugees whom it supports and who will probably later support "their church" at home in Ukraine. In the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), they act quite logically, their calculation is correct, and I can't even call it "cunning". The one who was with his flock, no matter where they were, is a good shepherd. The one who leaves his sheep – because they seem to have wandered into someone else's field – loses them.

Here a problem may arise not only in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and not only in the church context.

"Refugees are citizens of Ukraine who need spiritual support, but it is not provided to them. This, first of all, violates their right to freedom of religion, says priest Petro Bokanov.  – State bodies should be involved in this problem. Secondly, Russian churches, Russian schools, and Russian children's organizations are actively working with Ukrainians. And then hundreds of thousands of people will return to Ukraine with everything that was put into their heads in these Russian churches, schools and organizations. This is a real threat to national security."

The fact that religious organizations can become a problem for national security seems to be understood in Ukraine. At least this is hinted at by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) and draft laws on banning the activities of religious organizations with centers in aggressor countries. But simply "ban" is not even a half-measure. We must offer something in return.