U.P.Ts. GROUP DEMANDS CHURCH TRIAL OF PATRIARCH KIRILL
Institute of Religion and Policy, 11 April 2022
An action group of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPTs) is demanding an ecclesiastical trial of Patriarch Kirill for his support of the military operation of the R.F. against Ukraine.
More than 200 priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are demanding to put the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, on a church tribunal because of his position relative to the war in Ukraine and his adherence to the "Russian World," Gromadske relates.
This was reported on the social network of UPTs Archpriest Andrei Pinchuk. He published an open appeal to the primates of local Orthodox churches. According to his information, as of six o'clock P.M. on 11 April 2022, 284 priests had joined the appeal.
In the appeal, Patriarch Kirill is accused of two violations:
--preaching the doctrine of the "Russian World," which "does not comport with Orthodox teaching and should be condemned as a heresy," and
--blessing the actions of Russian troops in Ukraine, which in the appeal are called a moral crime.
"Despite the fact that Patriarch Kirill, over many years, in his public statements has maintained that he considers Orthodox Christians of Ukraine to be his flock, for which he bears responsibility, today he is explicitly blessing the physical annihilation of this flock by Russian troops," the appeal says.
The priests cite many quotations by Kirill by which they make the case of their accusation, and they also published a number of appeals to primates of local Orthodox churches
--"to condemn Russian military aggression";
--to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately cease the war and to release all Ukrainian territories that have been seized;
--to review the public statements by Patriarch Kirill about the war against Ukraine and to assess them;
--to assess at the pan-Orthodox level the doctrine of the "Russian World."
And what kind of trial is this? Pinchuk explains that he is referring to a supreme judicial instance of world Orthodoxy, a Council of primates of the ancient Eastern churches.
"For many centuries now, there has existed in the Orthodox church a tradition of appealing to a trial of such a Council in the event of serious conflicts," the archpriest notes.
He says that in the history of the Russian church there also was a precedent for an appeal to a court of the eastern patriarchs, when in 1666 Patriarch of Moscow Nikon was condemned. He was stripped of the patriarchate and his episcopal rank.
What has happened? After the Russian invasion in February 2022, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, made a number of statements which were viewed by his opponents as support of military action. Thus, on 6 March he declared that allegedly for 8 years now in the Donbass attempts have been continuing to destroy the "principled rejection of the so-called values that are suggested by those who aspire to world domination."
"Today there is such a test of loyalty to this domination. . . . The test is very simple and at the same time horrific: it is the gay parade. The demand on many to conduct a gay parade is also a test of loyalty to the most powerful world," Kirill said.
On 14 March, Patriarch Kirill presented to the commander of the Russian Guard, Viktor Zolotov, an icon and blessed Russian troops for the war in Ukraine.
On 3 April, the RPTs primate delivered a speech in the church of the Armed Forces of Russia in which he praised Russian soldiers and placed in doubt the independence of Ukraine:
"Today the word 'independence' is often applied to almost all countries of the world. But this is incorrect, because the majority of countries of the world are now under the colossal influence of one force, which today is unfortunately in opposition to the might of our people."
At the same time, the primate of the UPTs, Metropolitan Onufry, condemned the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. He expressed support for Ukrainian troops and appealed to Vladimir Putin "to immediately cease the fratricidal war." A number of priests of the UPTsMP even ceased during the divine liturgy commemorating the name of Kirill as their patriarch.
On 22 March, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine urged bishops, clergy, monasteries and religious communities of the UPTs to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PTsU), Gromadske concludes.
On 7 April, the European Parliament adopted resolution 2022/2622(RSP) regarding "intensification of repressions in Russia," in which it dealt with many aspects of the actions of the authorities of the R.F. with respect to civil society, including the activity of religious associations. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 April 2022)
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