U.P.Ts.M.P.
JUSTIFIES
UNWILLINGNESS OF B.P.Ts.M.P. HIERARCHY TO BE ALONGSIDE PEOPLE
DURING DEFENSE OF
FREEDOM OF CHOICE
Metropolitan
of
Borispol and Brovary Antony, the chancellor of the UPTsMP
[Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of the Moscow Patriarchate], justified the actions of the
Belorussian
Orthodox Church [BPTs], which disassociated itself from the
popular actions of protest
in Belarus. The famous religious studies scholar Dmitry Gorevoy
explained this
reaction in the UPTsMP.
Metropolitan
Antony
assessed the events in Belarus as follows:
"When
disorders
and hardships occur in a state, one can often hear from various
activists
accusations against the church to the effect that it does not
support the
actions of protest. But one must understand that the church is
higher, broader,
and deeper than any momentary political action. As a rule, there
are children
of the church everywhere, both on the one side and on the other
side of the
barricades. Therefore, if the church also goes out to the
barricades, then it
is only in order to stand between opposing sides and call for
peace.
"When a
person
participates in a confrontation, especially in a crowd, he often
is
radicalized. . . . And then it is just a step to bloodshed. The
church cannot
participate in this and to accuse it of 'inaction' and
'indifference' can only
be done by a person who has been consumed with the passion of
the
struggle."
At the
request of
RISU, religious studies scholar Dmitry Gorevoy commented on the
metropolitan's
words:
"I agree
with
Metropolitan Antony that there are faithful of the Belorussian
Orthodox Church
on both sides. However it is this fact that should prompt the
church into an
active position. Should not the church really stand in defense
of those who are
being brutally beaten, maimed, tortured, abused, and in the
final analysis
killed? If not, then of what value is such a church? 'You are
the salt of the
earth. If the salt has lost its strength, then with what can it
be made salty?
It is of no use and should be thrown out and trampled by people'
(Mt. 5.13).
"Can
such a
church be morally authoritative in society when it closes its
eyes and hides
its head in the sand relative to the outright mockery of the
dignity and very
nature of God's creation?" the religious expert asks. He reminds
Metropolitan Antony of the document "Foundations of the social
concept of
the RPTs," which is valid throughout the territory of the RPTs,
both in
Russia and in Belarus.
Dmitry
Gorevoy
recalls: "So there in chapter 3, part 5 (last paragraph) it is
indicated
that 'in the event of the impossibility of submitting to state
laws and orders
of the authorities, the church has the right . . . to address
its servants with
the call to peaceful civil disobedience.' Therefore Metropolitan
Antony's
statement 'if the church calls to the barricades, this is a true
indication
that it is no longer the church' contradicts the official
position of the
UPTsMP and RPTs, and that means it is false."
Dmitry
Gorevoy
explains Metropolitan Antony's position as "it is
disadvantageous for the
Moscow patriarchate to support the protests against Lukashenko
since he
guarantees the pro-Russian course in Belarus. Just as soon as
the Belarusans
turn in the direction of the West, the monopoly of Orthodoxy on
the part of the
RPTs there will start to falter."
"We saw
this in
Ukraine in the time of Yanukovich. The UPTsMP, in the person of
the avid
Covid-dissident Metropolitan Pavel, swore to him 'fidelity to
the end,' because
he feared losing the pro-Russian course. These same dangers are
now being heard
in the context of Belarus. And this is clear evidence that the
Moscow
patriarchate, no matter what they are saying there in the
UPTsMP, is a conduit
of the pro-Russian policy and pro-Kremlin geopolitical course,"
the
religious studies scholar noted. (tr. by PDS, posted 14 August
2020)
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