Published: 03.07.2022 – 11:37
Faced with a Russian military offensive, ordinary Ukrainian believers and members of the Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate have distanced themselves from the Moscow clergy, calling into question one of the main relays of the Kremlin’s influence in the country. Reporting in a church south of Kyiv.
A minute of silence, knees on the ground, against the backdrop of the roar of war in Ukraine. The choir of the Obukhov Orthodox Church, 40 kilometers south of Kyiv, fell silent as thirty worshipers gathered for their loved ones who had come under fire from Russian guns.
The prayer for peace, uttered by the priest during mass on Sunday, March 6, could not allay their anxiety. Faces remain covered, and only baby talk can defuse the leaden atmosphere. Still in shock from the intrusion, Hope wipes away a tear before standing up.
“Of course, this invasion is bad (…) We have to defend the country, but we also have to think about how to end the war,” the France 24 pensioner admits.
Nadezhda (center, wearing a white cap) and Volodymyr, immediately behind her, on their knees while praying for peace in Ukraine. © Mehdi Chebil
Meanwhile, Vladimir believes that we must continue to defend the country from the Russian invader. A former employee of the Antonov aircraft manufacturing company, he knows people involved in military operations.
“I served in the Soviet Army in Moscow in the 1980s and would never have thought about it. Our army is inflicting such losses as the Russian army has never experienced… I am sure that we will win! exclaimed the faithful 50-year-old man.
Statements that contradict those of the supreme spiritual leader of this Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. Three days after the start of the invasion, the latter denounced the “forces of evil” that fought against the historical unity of Russia and Ukraine.
There are two rival Orthodox churches in Ukraine: an independent clergy and another dependent on the Moscow Patriarchate. With 300 years of existence, the latter is the majority in terms of the number of parishes in Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, its top spiritual leader, is close to the Kremlin.
About 30 believers attended mass on March 6 at an Orthodox church in Obukhov. © Mehdi Chebil
War and its series of horrors are driving a wedge between the two Churches today. A spokesman for the Ukrainian branch on Friday denounced the Kremlin’s lies justifying the Russian invasion.
“Yes, lying is a sin, and the Russian government lied. Many believed. Officials said that there would be no war, that they were not planning anything,” Father Nikolai Danilevich said in an interview with France 24 TV channel – RFI.
“That’s why this invasion is an act of betrayal that has undermined all forms of trust,” said a spokesman from his office at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, an impressive collection of religious buildings on the banks of the Dnieper.
Father Nikolai Danilevich at the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, one of the high places of Slavic Orthodoxy, on March 4, 2022. © Mehdi Chebil
In the modest church of Obukhov, the preaching of Mass on March 6 was more moderate. Priest Sergei Stolyarchuk limited himself to religious generalizations, calling for prayer and peace, without taking sides in the ongoing conflict. The question of the formal power of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is still taboo. The clergyman hides behind the “apoliticality” of the Church in order not to comment on the statements of Pope Cyril.
Priest of the Obukhov Orthodox Church Sergey Stolyarchuk during the service on March 6, 2022 © Mehdi Chebil
However, like all Ukrainians, he was upset by the Russian invasion. He learned about it in the first hours of the attack, when his daughter, who lives near Boryspil airport, called him in a panic and said that she heard explosions.
“This is our country, this is our land, this is our people… How can we remain indifferent?!” – the priest of the Obukhov Church Sergei Stolyarchuk is indignant in an interview after mass.
“We are praying for our army, we are praying for our nation, because we are a nation,” the clergyman adds, as if ignoring the statements of Vladimir Putin, who denies the existence of the Ukrainian nation. “I cannot carry a weapon, my only weapon is prayer.”