Shards of the "Russian World"

On March 18, Patriarch Kirill was not present in the Kremlin on the "Crimean speech" of President Putin. Why?

Patriarch Cyril is now better to be silent than to speak. Moscow, March 11, 2014

Many are asked this question now: the Patriarch always came to the announcement of the annual messages of the president, and here is such a significant occasion - and the heads of the Russian Orthodox Church are not. The leaders of other religious organizations were - both Muslims and the Jews, the Russian Orthodox Church represented Metropolitan Krutitsky and Kolomensky Juvenal - not the last man in the church, but no matter how it is not the first priority.

Even rumors spread that friction arose between the patriarch and the president about the annexation of Crimea: they say, the Moscow Patriarchate was worried about his Ukrainian “possessions”, which the risk of losing as a result of the “peacekeeping mission” of Russia.

Friction is unlikely. Patriarch Cyril put a lot of effort to draw Ukraine into the orbit of the "Russian world". All his trips there from the moment of entering the head of the Primate was combined by pastoral tasks with political. “The Russian people are a divided nation ... which has the right to reunite in a single state body,” - these are the recent words of Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, but he repeats the thoughts of Patriarch Kirill. No wonder in Kyiv the Patriarch has repeatedly accused of attempts to annex Ukraine to Russia, using the church for this. And it would be naive to think that the Patriarch acted here at his own peril and risk, although the church diplomat of this scale (20 years of leadership of the department of external church ties) is generally not needed.

So friction is unlikely. But the gentleman's agreement - it may very well be.

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In this situation, the presence of Patriarch Kirill at the announcement of the “Crimean speech” is already seducted: present - means approved

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The risks of losing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP), which has autonomous status, more than ever. And this is a good half of the Russian Orthodox Church - almost 13 thousand communities of a little more than 30 thousand. With each political crisis in Ukraine, the struggle for the local church is routinely intensify. It would be strange if this did not happen now, when such moods are fueled by an inspirational victory on the Maidan, on the one hand, and the aggressive creeps of Russia - on the other. The calls for the unification of all Ukrainian churches into a single independent structure have already been sounded, moreover, the two largest churches in the country, the UOC MP and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC -KP), created commissions to discuss this issue.

The “Moscow” church has so far shows a certain skepticism about the prospects of the unification, but is it worth saying that the skepticism will instantly disappear if Russia continues its Ukrainian campaign. What will the church authorities support the split of their own country in the eyes of people?

In this situation, the presence of Patriarch Kirill at the announcement of the “Crimean speech” is already seditious: present - means approved. So the free one came out to him. So neither the Patriarch himself nor his closest associates say the words “Crimea”. And the president is ready to do without their “approving”, although in the last two years, it seems, not a single undertaking of power has left without the highest blessing.

Putin is also not interested in crushing the church. For 2016, the All -Orthodox Council, which has been preparing for more than 50 years, was scheduled - the first in history. Many important issues should be resolved on it, including the procedure for creating a certain regulatory body standing over local churches. The Russian Orthodox Church to uphold their positions is vital to remain the largest Orthodox church in the world - having lost the UOC, it will lose a fair share of its influence.

From the very beginning, the Putin regime put on the strengthening of Moscow’s positions in the Orthodox world (we recall at least the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church with the foreign church), now, having quarreled because of Ukraine with the West, all the more it is a pity to lose these opportunities. But if military aggression against Ukraine continues, silence will not save the patriarch. He will have to speak. Otherwise, the Orthodox world will turn away from the Russian Church in the same way as the West is now turning away from Russia.

Photo: Pavel Smertin/ITAR-TASS