UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR SUPPORTING RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE by Michael MacKay

8 Comments April 3, 2018 The Editors

Seated centre left refusing to stand during tribute to Ukraine’s slain soldiers: Metropolitan Onufry (Berezovsky), Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and Permanent Member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

Russia is using the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) as a weapon of war. It has been over four years since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the Donbas campaign of Putin’s war, clerics and religious buildings of the UOC-MP are being used by the intelligence services of the Russian Federation to carry out hostile intelligence operations against Ukraine. The clergy of this denomination [sic] take part in terrorist activities and support the Russian Federal Security Services fronted terrorist organizations, the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic.” This is the conclusion of the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU), and they’re finally going after the enemy within: the old KGB relic that is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.

This is all coming in the wake of Ukraine becoming truly independent after 2014, after the Revolution of Dignity and Russia’s invasion of Crimea and Donbas. Ukrainians are spirited and united because they are in a great existential battle. While fighting Muscovite invaders on the battlefront in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Ukrainians are taking care of unfinished business on the home front. At long last the SBU is starting to investigate the anti-Ukrainian activities of the UOC-MP. Nominally a church but in fact an arm of the Kremlin, the UOC-MP is an outpost of the enemy in the heart of Ukraine. Most Ukrainians will look at this investigation and say: “It’s about time!”

LENTEN REFLECTIONS: “THANK YOU” TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

1 Comment April 1, 2018 The Editors

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Orthodoxy in Dialogue wishes to offer a sincere thank you to the thirteen individuals who contributed to our Lenten Reflections and made the series a success. We launched this project not knowing if anyone at all would respond, let alone if every space would be filled. One hierarch and ten priests from five jurisdictions and two laywomen offered inspiring messages week by week to encourage our readers in this year’s journey to Pascha.

A special word of thanks to the women for taking a chance on us and reaching out: the project was initially limited to bishops, priests, monks, and nuns. Apparently the Lord had other plans.

Although not a Lenten reflection strictly speaking, the iconographic meditation on the Annunciation also gives us reason to be thankful.

From the number of views, shares, retweets, Facebook comments, private messages, and face-to-face conversations, we know that many people around the globe were touched by these reflections.

In case some of our readers missed any of them, or would like to reread them as part of their Holy Week discipline, we list the authors here in chronological order. Each name links to his or her reflection. Read More

GREAT AND HOLY WEEK by Priest Stephen Clark

2 Comments April 1, 2018 The Editors

Behold, the Bridegroom Comes

The King of the Universe enters Jerusalem in humility—He even had to borrow a donkey to ride. And the Pharisees are upset. This One whom they had counted as an enemy is now proclaimed King of Israel.

Thus begins Holy Week. Jesus comes as a humble King. And time as we know it begins to pass away. In the Eucharist, the Passion, the Death, the Resurrection, the Kingdom of God breaks into our time. That which is without time comes to dwell in time. The fathers of the Church underline this by having no assigned tone to this week. The Octoechos has ceased. Time, as we usually measure it in the Church, is going away.

Our services in the parishes underscore this. Morning services begin to be served in the evening, and evening services in the morning. Time is beginning to wobble.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evening, we celebrate the Bridegroom Matins. The theme of these services is the same as the parables of the Heavenly Banquet. Jesus had said: “The Kingdom of God is like unto a banquet.” The Kingdom of God is that time-outside-of-time. This banquet we prepare for on these days. And we prepare ourselves, for “Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight….” And the great Banquet for which we prepare is the Eucharist that we shall see inaugurated on the coming Thursday, and the Passion that we will encounter later in the week. And the Passion flavours everything we do this week, “for Christ, in His love, hastens to His sufferings.” These first three days are seen as a first-fruit of the Passion. Read More