Battles Over ‘Holy Rus’ – Centuries of History Behind the Bitter Orthodox Schism in Ukraine

This explains why Bartholomew's statement that the ideology fueling Ukraine War is hurting Orthodox unity is so laughable. There is no unity to be hurt!

From Get Religion

By Terry Mattingly

After the Soviet Union's collapse, Orthodox Christians throughout the Slavic world celebrated the slow, steady, construction of churches after decades of persecution.

In 2004, the poet Nina Borodai wrote a long prayer – "Song of the Most Holy Theotokos (Greek for God-bearer)" – seeking the prayers of St. Mary for the lands of "Holy Rus," a term with roots dating to the 988 conversion Prince Vladimir of Kiev.

"Mother of God, Mother of God / … All Holy Rus prays to you / And valleys and mountains and forests. … / Consecrate all the churches to you," wrote Borodai (computer translation from Russian). "Domes, domes in the sky are blue / I can't count the bells / The ringing floats, floats over Russia / Mother Rus is awakening."

Borodai's prayer of joy and repentance was an unlikely spark for an explosion of religious conflict inside Ukraine. Leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – with centuries of canonical ties to Russian Orthodoxy – face Security Service of Ukraine accusations of collusion with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Some churches have been seized or padlocked as pressures rise for conversions to the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine, officially born in 2019 with recognition by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Istanbul and Western governments.

In November, an OCU priest posted a video showing laypeople singing Borodai's poem after a service inside the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the font of Slavic monasticism since its birth in 1051 in caves above the Dnieper River. Monastery critics made headlines by claiming the video proved the monks – part of the historic UOC – are disloyal to Ukraine. Lavra visitors, according to the New York Times, were "cheering for Russia."

Days later, security forces raided the monastery and, in the weeks since, officials have accused bishops and priests of aiding Russia. They released photos of Russian passports, theological texts in Russian and pamphlets criticizing the newly created Ukrainian church.

The UOC synod responded by pleading for fair, open trials of anyone accused, while noting: "From the first day of the invasion of Russian troops, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has condemned this war and has consistently advocated the preservation of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Our believers, with God's help and the prayers of their fellow believers, courageously defend their Motherland in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. … Memory eternal to all victims of this terrible war!"

This echoed waves of UOC statements condemning the invasion. When fighting began, Father Nikolay Danilevich, head of its church relations office, tweeted: "Putin treacherously attacked our country! We bless everyone for the defense of Ukraine! … God save Ukraine!"

UOC Metropolitan Onuphry proclaimed: "We appeal to the President of Russia and ask him to immediately stop the fratricidal war. The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper Baptismal font, and the war between these peoples is a repetition of the sin of Cain, who killed his own brother out of envy."

Orthodox believers around the world have been stunned by these events, while watching for signs global Orthodox leaders will intervene in this schism. I am Orthodox and have – in 2009 and 2012 – worshipped in the Lavra and visited its vast underground matrix of sanctuaries, tombs and monastic cells. It's hard to imagine officers with machine guns walking past the bodies of numerous saints.

After meeting believers on both sides, I believe three clashing views of "Holy Rus" have shaped this tragedy.

Putin proclaims that the Rus is real, and this justifies his invasion. Supporters of the new Ukrainian church argue that the Ecumenical Patriarchate, after years of conflict with Russian Orthodoxy, had the authority to trump centuries of Slavic history and create the OCU.

Caught in the middle, leaders of the historic UOC say the Rus is a historical reality but insist that this makes Russia's invasion even worse – the sin of brothers killing brothers.

During worship in my own East Tennessee parish – part of the Orthodox Church in America, which has Russian roots – we continue to pray "for those who are suffering, wounded, grieving or displaced because of the war in Ukraine. And for a cessation of the hostilities against Ukraine, and that reconciliation and peace will flourish there, we pray thee, hearken and have mercy."

VIDEO WITH THIS POST: A Ukrainian woman pleads for authorities to allow her UOC parish to remain open, so that the funeral of her son — a Ukrainian soldier killed in combat — may continue.

Here is the description on the video:

У жінки, яка захищала від захоплення Успенський храм у селі Тарасівка (Київська область), на війні загинув син. Через амбіції рейдерів «ПЦУ» відспівування Героя у рідному храмі було під загрозою зриву. Про це повідомляє Інформаційно-просвітницький відділ УПЦ. 7 грудня 2022 року активісти «ПЦУ» разом із теробороною увірвалися до Успенського храму села Тарасівка, що на Київщині. Дані незаконні дії відбувалися під керівництвом голови Боярської ТГ Зарубіна Олександра. Дізнавшись про спробу рейдерського захоплення храму віряни УПЦ прийшли, щоб захистити свою святиню, втім тероборона заблокувала парафіянам вхід до храму та почала застосовувати по відношенню до них грубу фізичну силу. Незважаючи на це, релігійній громаді УПЦ все ж вдалося відстояти свою церкву. Після того, як закінчилися провокації «ПЦУ», віряни зайшли у свій храм, відслужили акафіст та молебень. У числі жінок, які постраждали від агресії прихильників «ПЦУ» та тероборони була Олександра Крусьян – мати військовослужбовця ЗСУ Володимира Крусьяна. «Тероборонівці її стукали, хоча вона казала: “Хлопці, що ви робите? Моя дитина під Бахмутом, а ви тут стоїте і жінок штовхаєте”. Вона просила їх, благала не робити цих злочинних дій», – розповіла очевидиця подій Тетяна Паращак. Коли пані Олександра знаходилася ще на території храму, до неї зателефонував чоловік, який сказав їй негайно повертатися додому. Прийшовши у свій дім, вона почула страшну звістку – на війні загинув її син Володимир. Вранці 8 грудня представники «ПЦУ» знову почали влаштовувати провокації. Для їх підтримки приїхали представники «5 каналу». Мати загиблого Героя вимушена була стати на коліна та просити організаторів колотнечі, зокрема «клірика ПЦУ» Андрія Хім’яка, який іменує себе «отцем Кипріяном», перестати чинити беззаконня і дати відспівати полеглого Героя у його рідному храмі. Під час цього журналістка «5 каналу» сказала своєму відеооператору вимкнути камеру. Наразі осоромлені рейдери відступили. У храмі звершуються богослужіння та підносяться молитви за упокоєння загиблого Захисника України воїна Володимира. Попри це, релігійна громада Успенської церкви остерігається провокацій зі сторони «ПЦУ» та просить молитовної підтримки. Новина: https://news.church.ua/2022/12/08/daj... Більше новин та інформації на сайті УПЦ та у соціальних мережах. Сайт: http://news.church.ua/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Church.ua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/church.ua/ Підписуйтесь на розсилку в Telegram, щоб першими дізнаватись про всі новини: https://t.me/upc_news

here is the Google trnsltion of the description:

A woman who defended the Assumption Church in the village of Tarasivka (Kyiv region) from capture had a son killed in the war. Due to the ambitions of the OCU raiders, the funeral of the Hero in his native church was in danger of being disrupted. This is reported by the Information and Educational Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. On December 7, 2022, activists of the "OCU" together with the Teroborona broke into the Assumption Church in the village of Tarasivka, in the Kyiv region. These illegal actions took place under the leadership of the head of the Boyarsk TG, Oleksandr Zarubin. Having learned about the raider's attempt to capture the church, the UOC believers came to protect their shrine, however, the Teroborona blocked the parishioners' entrance to the church and began to use brute physical force against them. Despite this, the UOC religious community still managed to defend its church. After the provocations of the "OCU" ended, the believers went to their church, served an akathist and a prayer. Among the women who suffered from the aggression of the supporters of the "OCU" and Teroboron was Oleksandra Krusyan, the mother of a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Volodymyr Krusyan. "The Teroboron soldiers beat her, although she said: "Guys, what are you doing? My child is near Bakhmut, and you stand here and push women." She asked them, begged them not to commit these criminal acts," said Tetyana Paraschak, an eyewitness to the events. When Ms. Oleksandra was still on the territory of the temple, she received a phone call from a man who told her to return home immediately. Arriving at her home, she heard terrible news - her son Volodymyr had died in the war. On the morning of December 8, representatives of the "OCU" again began to stage provocations. Representatives of Channel 5 came to support them. The mother of the deceased Hero was forced to kneel down and ask the organizers of the riot, in particular the "cleric of the OCU" Andrii Khimyak, who calls himself "Father Kyprian", to stop committing lawlessness and let the fallen Hero die in his native church. During this, the Channel 5 journalist told her videographer to turn off the camera. By now the disgraced raiders retreated. Divine services are held in the church and prayers are offered for the repose of the fallen Defender of Ukraine, the warrior Volodymyr. Despite this, the religious community of the Assumption Church is wary of provocations by the "OCU" and asks for prayer support. News: https://news.church.ua/2022/12/08/daj... More news and information on the UOC website and social networks. Website: http://news.church.ua/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Church.ua/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/church.ua/