Flock drives Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s break with Moscow
Archbishop Kliment said ordinary members of the branch of Ukraine’s Orthodox church felt it could no longer remain silent on Russia’s invasion.
Ordinary members of the branch of Ukraine’s Orthodox church, until now loyal to Moscow, drove the decision to break ranks with the Russian leadership.
Archbishop Kliment said the church’s congregation felt it could no longer remain silent.
He was speaking inside Kyiv’s Pechersk Lavra monastery – one of the most ancient and holy sites in Ukraine – a day after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow patriarchy declared “full independence”.
The clerics condemned Russian Patriarch Kirill’s vocal support for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, in a historic move against Moscow’s spiritual authorities.
Archbishop Kliment said his church “does not accept, condemns and completely dissociates itself from those statements about Russian aggression in Ukraine that came from the lips of Patriarch Kirill”.
Kirill is a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has spoken out in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine several times.
For Archbishop Kliment, the situation was clear. “The commandment ‘thou shall not kill’ has no other interpretations,” he said.
“It is difficult for me to (understand) the explanation or silence of the representatives of the Moscow patriarchate on the tragedy that is happening today,” he added, as tens of thousands are killed and millions displaced.
His wing of Ukraine’s church is one of the last links to Russia. It remained loyal despite a 2019 schism that saw the creation of a rival Kyiv patriarchy – a huge blow to Moscow. Archbishop Kliment acknowledged on Saturday that his church had “always felt pressure from the state” to break from Moscow – and the authorities here have welcomed the decision of the Kyiv patriarchy. But this time, he said, the appeals had come from their own worshippers.
“There was a need for this, a demand in church society,” he said.
AFP
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