Kiev, December 31, 2020
Met. Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the UOC. Photo: vesti.ua
On December 28, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church under His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, gave an interview to the Ukrainian outlet Vesti, discussing issues regarding the ongoing Ukrainian Church crisis and its effects both within and beyond Ukraine.
Many of the questions have been addressed by both Met. Anthony and other Ukrainian hierarchs before, but he does offer some necessary insights and commentary on the sad state of Orthodox unity today.
On Cyprus
Asked, what will be the consequences of the Cypriot Synod recognizing the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine?” Met. Anthony notes that, “Unfortunately, this Church has come to the edge of a cliff,” but thankfully there were brave bishops who took a stand and would not compromise their consciences. They are in a tight spot now, wanting to remain faithful to God and also maintain the unity of their Local Church. This is why they took a lenient stance, whereby they continue to commemorate the Archbishop but won’t concelebrate with him as long as he commemorates schismatics.
However, Abp. Chrysostomos cannot accept that they understand the situation as a matter of faith and threatens them with defrocking. If the situation continues to escalate, it could lead to a real schism in the Cypriot Church, Met. Anthony warned, as have several Cypriot hierarchs themselves.
Will more Local Churches recognize the OCU?
Former President Petro Poroshenko recently said two more Local Churches are about to recognize the OCU, though it is hard to say which these could be, Met. Anthony says, as all the Local Churches are under unprecedented pressure.
“But let us not forget that this is a religious question, and a believer is strong in the fear of God and able to withstand the fear of the powerful of this world,” he adds hopefully. The UOC also hopes that the sad example of the Cypriot Church will be instructive for others, as even Church history shows that it doesn’t matter how many people support a heresy—God will eventually strike it down, and schismatics fade into history.
In any case, it’s in God’s hands, and we have only to firmly hold to the correct position, not betraying Orthodoxy, Met. Anthony says.
Has pan-Orthodox unity been lost?
Met. Anthony also repeats his statement that true pan-Orthodox unity no longer exists, and a fake Orthodoxy, where everything is distorted is being created before our eyes. This is not ultimately about ethnic struggles or administrative borders, but the struggle between real and fake Orthodoxy.
How does the Church view the president’s invitation to Patriarch Bartholomew?
Asked about President Zelensky’s invitation to Patriarch Bartholomew to Ukraine, Met. Anthony recalls that the Ukrainian constitution guarantees the separation of church and state, and doe not provide for the president to engage in external church activities.
Additionally, the Church is against his visit because it threatens social stability and peace, as is already evident from the violent church seizures throughout the nation:
It is no secret that the impulse for the mass seizure of churches of the UOC was the decision of the head of the Phanar to interfere in Ukrainian church affairs. Thus, Patriarch Bartholomew de facto bears personal responsibility for the raiding, violence and other illegal actions carried out and carried out by the supporters of the OCU against the believers of the UOC.
Thus, his visit is likely to provoke a new round of confrontations, Met. Anthony warns. The recent seizures in western Ukraine, including the failed attempt in Mikhalcha, are, of course, connected with this, Met. Anthony states.
How will the Church respond if Constantinople suspends its hierarchs?
Asked about Constantinople’s reported plans to declare the OCU the only canonical Church in Ukraine and to ban the hierarchs of the UOC, Met. Anthony notes that he cannot really comment because he does not know the Phanar’s plans, but he does recall Constantinople’s Archbishop Job (Getcha) telling the BBC in 2018 that “If this situation persists for a long time, then, of course, the Patriarchate of Constantinople will be forced to take certain measures,” referring to the possibility of removing the Patriarchal dignity of the Russian Church. This was an unambiguous signal and an act of intimidation, Met. Anthony believes.
Thus, it’s quite possible that Constantinople could make such an “absurd decision” in regard to the UOC, despite the fact that it has no jurisdiction over the UOC, Met. Anthony replies. It would be like a Local Church suddenly deciding to recognize the schismatic “Turkish Orthodox Church” and banning the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
“Let us hope that the Phanar will not stoop to such a disgrace,” the UOC Chancellor says.
Nevertheless, if it does happen, the UOC will react, “Probably only through regret and prayer, and, of course, standing for the purity of the faith and the holy canons.”
Met. Anthony then reminds that the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Church stated that Pat. Bartholomew has no foundation to talk about the canonical status of Met. Onuphry or the UOC.
On the declaration that UOC hierarchs are only “titular”
Asked about Pat. Bartholomew’s recent declaration that the UOC bishops are merely “titular” bishops, Met. Anthony responds that “No one can remove the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its millions of parishioners from reality… Just as a shout from Istanbul cannot shake the authority of His Beatitude and the love for him from our flock.”
The only concern is that the Patriarch’s words “indicate that the Phanar is simply waiting for a political opportunity to destroy our Church.” After all, there is much less pressure on the UOC now, so Constantinople is forced to “temporarily tolerate” us, until it sees an opportunity to strike, His Eminence warns.
There are many such examples in the past, such as when the Phanar took advantage of the Bolsheviks coming to power in Russia and seized canonical territories of the Russian Church and actively worked against the Russian Church with the Renovationists.
“As we can see, this behavior is by no means consistent with the spirit of evangelical love. But everything that is contrary to God, sooner or later fails,” the UOC Chancellor says.
On Constantinople’s desire to be “first without equals”
Regarding Pat. Bartholomew’s recent statement about reexamining Orthodox ecclesiology because we need a first hierarch with broader powers than the other primates, Met. Anthony notes that the Church has survived for 2,000 years without such a system. Such an idea comes from the influence of globalism, because “it is much easier to negotiate or even influence the fate of world Orthodoxy when dealing with just one control center.”
Constantinople’s “first without equals” format would also allow it to find new ways of ecumenistic unity with the non-Orthodox without having to seek a pan-Orthodox solution or approval.
On Constantinople’s exarchate in Ukraine
Concerning Constantinople’s appoint of an exarch bishop in Ukraine, Met. Anthony believes the Phanar must increase its capabilities and status in Ukraine, as its OCU project has not developed as it hoped, and the legitimacy of the OCU hierarchs is still doubted even by those Churches that have recognized them.
The Exarchate could very likely become a home for those who are dissatisfied with Epiphany Dumenko, and other Local Churches would be more likely to see it as canonical, as opposed to the OCU, Met. Anthony reflects. OrthoChristian recently reported on Simeon Shostatsky and Alexander Drabinko, the formerly canonical hierarchs who joined the OCU, looking to advance within Constantinople’s Exarchate.
It looks quite likely that the Exarchate will become the basis for a full-scale takeover of the OCU, Met. Anthony believes. After all, there is no guarantee that Constantinople won’t revoke its tomos when the political conditions are right. Remember what just happened with the Archdiocese of Russian parishes in Western Europe, he concludes.
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