Orthodox

Konstantin Gološanov, former leader of the ‘Athos fraternity’ that brought together the oligarchs-VIPs, is back in vogue in Moscow. Having gone out of the scene with the start of the conflicts with Ukraine (and the explosion of some financial scandals), today he is once again trying to show through sacred art that Russia is the ‘true Europe’.

Unlike the post-Soviet 'converted' politicians Andrej Belousov is one of the patrons of the Diveevo Monastery, the historical seat of St Seraphim of Sarov. Since the early 2000s, the influence of "presidential orthodoxy" has been concentrated here in the place that symbolises a spirituality that in the early 20th century was considered too close to the heresy of the Old Believers, convinced of the superiority of Russian Christianity over Byzantine Christianity.

The synod of the Orthodox community led by Metropolitan Epifanyj has appealed to Patriarch Bartholomew to condemn Kirill for the "ethno-filetist heresy". The clash with the other Orthodox jurisdiction, which has always been linked to Moscow, despite having formally distanced itself from it after the Russian invasion.

In Tbilisi, the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party call the demonstrators 'radicals' and even 'Satanists'. The patriarchate openly supports the government, which is committed to fighting 'the imposition of foreign, unusual and dangerous ideologies on the country's population. But the archbishop of Dmanisi, Zenon Iaradžuli, has asked not to approve the law, which could also harm some Church-related NGOs.

The reflections of the Moscow attack overshadow proclamations of victory in Ukraine. A text by the Sobordella of the Orthodox Church goes beyond the ideological motivations of the war and defends the 'purity' of the Russian people from 'invading migrants'. The fight against foreign 'ghettos' in the cities and the 'return' to the 'traditional' division between population and productive forces in the territory.

Patriarch Bartholomew has welcomed into his clergy Fr. Aleksej Uminskij, reduced to the lay state by Patriarch Kirill for refusing to recite war prayers. He had already done so with Russian Orthodox priests who refused to support the war. Moscow does not recognise Constantinople's right to rehabilitate expelled priests, which the Ecumenical Patriarchate instead claims as a tradition of ecclesiastical 'last resort' from the earliest times.

The Ukrainian autocephalous Orthodox Church has removed the memorial of the holy Russian prince Aleksandr Nevsky from its liturgical calendar, teh saint who defeated Westerners in the 13th century and was the forerunner of the alliance with the Asian empires. While Kirill would like to canonise the great generals of Russian military history.

The story of Fr Uminsky, suspended a divinis for refusing to recite the Victory prayer, is not an isolated case. Former collaborator of Kirill Sergej Čapnin, now a researcher in the USA, tells of many priests who are tired of blessing arms and would like to pass on to other national Orthodox Churches. And among them there are even those who - to overcome the obstacles placed by Moscow - try to enter the United States as clandestine immigrants from Mexico.

Recently transferred from Pskov, Putin's 'spiritual father' - the only counterbalance to Kirill's domination of the Moscow Patriarchate - exploits his position on the front line of the war front by also occupying the social networks with his charismatic profile.

Of 300 priests who had signed an appeal against the invasion in March 2022, few today can support pacifist positions. Some have been suspended, others driven out, most silenced. The difficult relations with the community, Russian control and the feelings of hostility of Ukraine, which does not believe 'in good Russians'. Russian orthodoxy is in danger of not surviving Putin.

The opposition politician from his prison released an article on the Church and Moscow's war in Kiev. The patriarchate's position contradicts not only the fundamentals of the faith, but also its own official documents. Priests punished for calling for peace. Gratitude to those, including religious, who rebel against the conflict 'regardless of the consequences'.

Kirill's appeal to all the heads of the Orthodox Churches against the ban on Russian jurisdiction of Orthodoxy in Ukraine sanctioned by the Kiev parliament has gone unanswered. While the sending of Metropolitan Tikhon to Crimea, the most contested front line, many are wondering whether this is yet another punishment or a possible ecclesiastic and political exaltation.