In Ukraine, the accusations of Christians of political persecution are growing louder: they complain about violent attacks and, above all, humiliating raids by the Ukrainian secret service SBU, which hunts Russian spies. They also begged Ukrainian Orthodox President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stay in their ancestral churches in the world-famous Kiev Cave Monastery, whose leases were not renewed.
There is enough misery and suffering from the war, Zelenskyj should not take away their last hope, said the head of the monastery Pavlo Lebid in a video message. But the doors to the places of worship remain closed shortly before Orthodox Christmas. The churches in Ukraine, like Russia, traditionally celebrate Christmas two weeks later than Christians in the West – on January 7.
Kiev sees churches infiltrated with agents from Moscow
The Church in Ukraine, traditionally associated with the Russian Orthodox Brothers and Sisters of Faith, renounced the Moscow Patriarchate after the outbreak of war. The political leaders see the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious community in the country with 12,000 priests, as infiltrated by Moscow agents. She had even asked the clergy to declare Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin the devil. However, Kiev especially criticizes the Moscow patriarch Cyril as a warmonger.
Rental contracts for places of worship in Grotklooster not renewed
The conflict has always had a religious component. When the leases of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for two important places of worship in the UNESCO-protected cave monastery were not renewed, the head of Lebid there gave up his restraint and accused Zelenskyj of political interference.
Russia pinpoints ‘religious freedom violation’
The Moscow Patriarchate in the Russian capital also criticized the “violation of religious freedom” and the rights of believers in Ukraine. Kiev’s power apparatus is driving monks out of monasteries, illegally occupying places of worship and persecuting believers, they say. “There hasn’t been anything like this in church life since the days of the godless Soviet rulers,” said church spokesman Vladimir Legoida. He described the new church in Ukraine, which came about with help from the state, as a “puppet” that only serves to divide Christians.
Priests collaborated with Russian occupiers
The Russian invasion of Ukraine last February also changed the country’s church culture. Religion is one of the last ties still linking the former “fraternal states”. Today, the Ukrainian state supports the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, founded in December 2018, to create a community independent of Russia. Apparently too many priests in eastern Ukraine are collaborating with the Russian occupiers; and for too long the Church had clung to spiritual ties with Moscow.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
