If Patriarch Kirill fails to keep hold of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Russia will turn into Muscovy. Myroslav Marynovych, vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv was reported as saying this by Gazeta.ua.
“Russia’s imperial structure is based on the conviction that Kyiv is the epicenter of its origin and must therefore belong to Russia. Otherwise, the latter will hang in the air, will become an ulus or the Kazan Khanate. Moscow cannot let Kyiv become independent in ecclesiastical aspect. All the Kremlin’s claims that they will not let this happen have become ridiculous. No one is able to curb the course of history. And the course of history is the rise of the capital of Ukraine and the recent decline of Moscow. Everything gets into its places,” he said.
Christian Kyiv will continue to revive and restore its power, Vice-rector of UCU is confident.
“Eventually, Constantinople will recognize autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church. Meanwhile, it eschews doing so. Ukraine is in a transition situation. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is experiencing dramatic changes and they are not over. The process will be continuing in the future inside the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church but will gradually boost the unity of the historical Kyivan Church. What form it will take is hard to imagine, but it all comes to this. But the two trends will always persist: some Church claims their monopoly, another church will be trying to drag the blanket. On the other hand, the spirit of unity will intensify because it is present among the people. The people of ancient Kyiv did not want hatred, they were tired of it. The ones who admire Muscovy will leave the historical arena,” Myroslav Marynovych said.
Ukrainian government should clearly state that it does not just oppose the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, but supports this idea. It will not be regarded as interference in the affairs of the Church, human rights activist believes.
“The unified local church can be created in 5 years and in 50 years. It all depends on the faithful,” Marynovych said.
As reported, on Monday, November 21, at a ceremonial act in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the occasion of his 70th anniversary, Patriarch Kirill said that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) would never agree to the independence of the Ukrainian Church from the Moscow Patriarchate.