Autocephalous Orthodox Church Research Articles

Revival of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1989-1991)

Revival of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1989-1991)

Polityka Białoruskiej Autokefalicznej Cerkwi Prawosławnej na uchodźctwie wobec Patriarchatu Konstantynopolskiego po 1948 roku

The article discusses the attempts of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC) in exile to establish relations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the second half of the 20th century. BAOC’s intentions and policy towards the Constantinople Patriarchate were analysed, which included the implementation of the following goals: 1) confirmation/recognition of the canonical status of the BAOC by the Patriarchate of Constantinople; 2) unification of all Belarusian Orthodox parishes in the democratic West under the jurisdiction of BAOC; 3) overcoming the political division of the Belarusian diaspora in the West and reducing its role in the functioning of parishes; 4) independence of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in exile from the influence of the Russian Foreign Orthodox Church.

კონკორდატის სამართლებრივი ასპექტები

The Concordat is a constitutional agreement signed this year between the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia and the state. It remains disputed due to legal norms inconsistent with the Constitution and technical or content issues. Nevertheless, this is why it stands out as one of the most intriguing documents, stirring interest not only among lawyers but also among a significantly broader part of society. The purpose of the article is to showcase and analyze the deficiencies within the constitutional agreement, which will make the relevance of the problem more visible. Additionally, it seeks to identify the privileges granted to the Orthodox Church compared to other religious denominations within the constitutional agreement.

The Autocephalous Church of Poland during World War II: An Anecdotal Memorandum-Report of the Archbishop Grodno Savva (Sowietow) to the Ecumenical Patriarch Benjamin

This article presents and analyses an unpublished Report by Bishop Grodno Savva to the Ecumenical Patriarch Benjamin on the situation in which the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Poland found itself after the occupation of Poland by Nazi and Soviet troops (1939-1940). The aim of the Report was, on the one hand, to raise the awareness of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in favor of the Polish Orthodox Church, in support of its autocephalous status and, on the other hand, to condemn Seraphim Lade’s anticanonical actions in Poland. The presentation includes various archival documents and a contemporary bibliography. The original French text of Bishop Savva’s letter and eport is found at the end of the article.

Pravoslavna crkva u raljama aktuelnih globalnih geopolitičkih promena - kanonska i socio-politička analiza

This paper points to processes that have been going on for a century and aim to change the modern image of the Orthodox Church. One patriarchy, the first in honour, is trying to impose itself as the supreme interpreter of traditions and theological narratives, as well as to change the canonical structure and ecclesial identity of all other autocephalous Orthodox Churches. The prehistory of the devastating processes starts with the restoration of national and church self-consciousness in the 19th century in the Balkans, which led to the emergence of the brainchild of restoring the autocephalous status of church communities in the liberated territories. The procedures for church independence were not initially approved by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The leading patriarchate in honour, faced with the actual church situation on the Balkan Peninsula, confirmed the independence of the Athens Archdiocese and the Metropolitanate of Belgrade in the second half of the 19th century. However, the 20th century brought massive changes. The Balkan Wars, the Great War, the communist revolution in Russia, the disappearance of the Ottoman and Austrian empires, and the great tragedy of the Orthodox Greeks in Constantinople and Asia Minor led to changes in theological paradigms in the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which also initiated a change in its church position from Primus inter pares (The first among equals) to Primus sine paribus (The first without equals). This fact leads to the pretensions of this patriarchate to the entire Orthodox diaspora, as well as to the exclusive right to form criteria for granting autocephalous status to church communities that request it. However, the representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople very consistently continue to develop the theological assumptions of the new ecclesiological matrix, especially in the decades after the Second World War. Quite consciously and with the expected outcome, they are approaching the levers of power of the US political elite with the desire to strengthen their position in front of the repressive regime in Turkey. Soon, they began to use the established connections and increased political potential to impose their ecclesiological and canonical views on other Orthodox churches, especially since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the demolition of the Berlin Wall. The resistance of the new ecclesiological narratives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which give it a priority place in relation to all other churches and in the processes of accomplishing canonical and spiritual authority, not just honour, to all reasoned theological and historical criticism from Orthodox theologians, canonists, and archbishops, points to the fact that the theological turnover of this Patriarchate is well and studiously prepared. It is apparent that this church expects essential benefits from it, but also that the shaped narratives have a reflective effect on anticipated political situations that have been preparing for decades under the guise of the pseudo-ideological supremacy of the West. Since it is under massive transformative pressure from the Western power centres, it's evident that the Orthodox Church is in great turmoil, with painful uncertainty about its resolution. The processes that are mentioned are part of global geopolitical change. Rational interpretation of reality suggests they are synchronized from the same centre of power and political decision-making, as well as mutually compatible and complementary. This fact tells us that the mutual relations of the Orthodox churches are in a crisis that seems to be designed and managed for the purpose of more comprehensive intervention in the self-consciousness of the Orthodox peoples and their ecclesial, national, ethical, and political identity.

The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church Towards the Rise of NSZZ “Solidarity” and the Introduction of Martial Law in Poland

Throughout the period of the People’s Republic of Poland, the PAKP was part of the trend of religious loyalty to the state promoted by the communist authorities. In many respects, it declared support for the political, social and economic changes taking place after 1945. This was due to both its own organizational weaknesses and theological assumptions. It also supported the actions of the communist authorities against the emerging “Solidarity” and the introduction of martial law in Poland.

Rozmowy rządowe w sprawie przekazania oryginału tomosu o autokefalii cerkiewnej w Polsce przy patriarsze ekumenicznym Konstantynie VI

Upon the issuance of the patriarchal and synodal Tomos on autocephaly on November 13, 1924, the Polish government began talks regarding the ceremonial transmission of the above act by the patriarchate's delegation. At the request of the synod of Orthodox bishops in Warsaw, the Polish government undertook to obtain the acceptance of the remaining autocephalous Orthodox Churches to declare Polish autocephaly. Arrangements related to the arrival of the patriarchate's delegation to Poland in order to deliver the original Tomos on autocephaly were initiated by the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine VI. Due to the planned arrival of a delegation to Poland for the ceremony announcing autocephaly, the Polish government commissioned the publication of a scientific study on the Orthodox Church in Poland. For the first time, the article published the only preserved original of the Tomos on Polish autocephaly, kept in the archives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Fanar in Constantinople.

“The Special Role of the Apostle Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia in the History of Georgia” as the basis for exclusive exemptions and privileges - Case Law of the Constitutional Court of Georgia

Between 2015-2018, the Constitutional Court of Georgia consideredtwo cases with respect to religious organizations’ Right onEquality and Non-discrimination. The Respondent Party, the Parliamentof Georgia, as one of its arguments, indicated that allegeddifferent treatment - exemptions and privileges granted exclusivelyto the Orthodox Church of Georgia, was justified by the ‘SpecialRole of the Orthodox Church of Georgia in the History of Georgia’.In connection with that argument, the Court made valuableinterpretations, in particular, whether and to what extent the specialrole of a religious institution in the historical past of countrycan be used to pursue an aim to create the privileged status for it inthe present days. The present article considers this very issue fromthe perspective of the Constitutional Court of Georgia’s Case Law.

Charles Wright Mills' Concept of "The Power Elite" Triangle According to the Georgian Model of 1990-2020

The paper presents similarities and differences of Charles Wright Mills's concept of "The Power Elite" triangle on the Georgian model of 1990-2020. The article presents a research on the Georgian analogue of the Mills concept in the context of church power, army and, in general, force power, economic and financial elites. It is also about the promotion of the bourgeoisie in the American society and the factors of developed skills, which essentially differentiates the American existence from the Georgian existence. In the article, I discuss the conditions, which represent The Mills concept, on the example of Georgia, how the factor of church power differs, which in our case plays the role of essential influencing power, what was the condition of the rulers of Georgia over the years against the background of the confrontation between secular and clerical power elites, and what is the overall result we got today. The article provides a qualification that is derived from research and analysis. The article explains why financially powerful groups and individuals in political and governmental layers are getting stronger in Georgia, why citizens do not have the appropriate conditions for influence, what factors prevent the strengthening of civic influence in Georgia. In some cases, the Mills constructions, like the example of Georgia, even look paradoxical, declaring that the state is one, while creating a radically different reality and trend. The article studies the influence of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia on maintaining power in Georgia and its characteristics. There are highlighted Mills views about democracy resources, context and content comparability, the factors impacting the bourgeoisie in the development and strengthening democracy, that is represented quite differently in Georgian model. The article discovers the theoretic factors that hinders the development of democratic values in Georgia - the historical and modern contexts of aristocracy and feudalism, superiority of church hierarchy in maintaining power, secular authorities longing for authoritarianism and mutual subordination of secular and clerical power elites with the weird synthesis of partnership.

REPRESSIONS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UAOC IN CHERNIHIV REGION IN THE 1920S AND 1930S (ACCORDING TO THE MATERIALS OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE CASES)

The purpose of this work is to analyze the repression of the clergy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (hereinafter referred to as the UAOC) in Chernihiv Region. The main basis for the source-based analysis is criminal investigative cases from the Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine in Chernihiv region (hereinafter – the archive of the SSU in Chernihiv region), the Branch State Archive of the Security Service of Ukraine (hereinafter – BSA SSU) and the State Archive of Chernihiv region (hereinafter – SACR). The work presents a small historiographical excursion of the problem. The author analyzed the reasons for the persecution and pressure on representatives of the UAOC, described the socio-economic life of the clergy during the period of repression. Using the statistical method, the researcher establishes the age and national composition of repressed persons, their level of education and participation in military operations during the Civil War. The author cites the memories of priests, which, in turn, makes it possible to reconstruct their lives and activities during the period of repression. The article establishes the exact number of repressed archbishops and bishops of the UAOC in the region. With the help of various research methods, the peculiarities of falsification of criminal cases of the clergy are indicated. The article defines the types of punishments that were applied to representatives of the UAOC.

УКРАЇНСЬКА ПРАВОСЛАВНА СПІЛЬНОТА В ПІВНІЧНІЙ АМЕРИЦІ В МІЖВОЄННИЙ ПЕРІОД

The article deals with the development of the Ukrainian Orthodox movement on the North American continent during the interwar period. It began with the mass conversion of Greek Catholics to Orthodoxy and led to the establishing of two separate church communities in Canada and the United States. The first UOC-USA parishes were founded in 1919, mostly by former Ukrainian Catholics from Galicia or Orthodox from Transcarpathia and Bukovyna. In 1924 Archbishop Ioan Teodorovych of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox church, formed in Kyiv, was dispatched to serve as a hierarch for the new churches in the United States and Canada. The UOC-USA grew quickly, and by 1932 it included 32 parishes and 25 priests. Large numbers of Ukrainians who had formerly belonged to the Russian Orthodox church and the Ukrainian Catholic church joined the newly formed Ukrainian Orthodox church in Canada. After 1924 the UOCC insisted on retaining its administrative independence under Rev Semen Sawchuk as church administrator and president of the consistory. By the end of 1928 the church had approximately 64,000 followers, organized in 152 parishes served by 21 priests. The church, priests, and faithful refused to join the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA because they questioned the canonicity of Archbishop Ioan Teodorovych's episcopal consecration. Rev Yosyf Zhuk (a Catholic priest from Galicia) was selected as the church's bishop in 1931 and he was succeeded by Bishop Bohdan Shpylka (consecrated in 1937) under the jurisdiction of the patriarch of Constantinople. Some priests and faithful, however, questioned the canonicity of Ioan Teodorovych’s episcopal ordination and formed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America under the jurisdiction of the patriarch of Constantinople. The Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese was founded in 1938 when a group of 37 Ruthenian Eastern Catholic parishes, under the leadership of Fr. Orestes Chornock, were received into the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Ukrainization of the Western Polissia: Stages and Factors

The course of Ukrainization of the inhabitants of Western Polissia (the north of modern Volyn and Rivne regions, as well as the south of Brest region) is analyzed. The main stages of this process are highlighted. The first is the Liberation War of 1917–1921, the second is the interwar period, the third is from the beginning of World War II to the creation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). It was clarified that the majority of local Orthodox priests had moskvophilic views and were hostile to Ukrainization. They were wary of revolutionary changes and tried to conserve within themselves the remnants of the ideology of the no longer existing Russian Empire. However, some local Orthodox priests supported Ukrainization and helped to build the OUN network. From 1942 to 1944, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) played an important role in this process. It established close cooperation with the OUN in the means of promotional work and managed to take hold in the region. In particular, UAOC priests carried out the Ukrainization of worship and built their own church network. Often in their sermons, they glorified the struggle of the OUN and honoured the heroes who died for an Independent Ukraine. In return, the OUN tried to support pro-Ukrainian priests, primarily through protection and authority. Pressure was exerted on the actively moskvophilic clergy (threats, beatings, and, in exceptional cases, executions). The specified active position managed to change the situation. On the large territory, nationally conscious priests and Ounivites managed to Ukrainianize the population. It was the foundation on which in the fall of 1942, the first units of the UPA were created on the territory of Western Polissia by Ostap Kachynskyi («Samson»), who was a military officer of the OUN Regional Directorate. On the contrary, the moskvophile clergy controlled the territories which were not supervised by the OUN underground. Under its influence, the local population lost its national identity and became part of the Belarusian people.

The religious and legal dimension of the russian war against Ukraine against the background of social and state transformations xx—xxi centuries

The article defines the nature of the Russian war against Ukraine in the context of social and state transformations of the 20th — 21st centuries. It is emphasized that this is a war of different worlds, mentalities, worldviews, ways of life, values, etc., which has been going on for many centuries in various forms (direct and mediated, open and veiled, hot and cold). The role of the religious-legal factor in the Russian war against Ukraine at various stages of Ukrainian state formation (periods of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, Soviet, modern) is revealed. It is emphasized that it was during the time of the Ukrainian People’s Republic that the legal basis for the organization of the Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church, confessional differentiation and the establishment of freedom of conscience and interconfessional tolerance in Ukrainian society was created. Emphasized attention is paid to the fact that in the Soviet period, the Russian war against Ukraine continued in a new, veiled, hidden, invisible (at first glance) form with the active use of the religious factor. The results of this period have been determined, namely: rampant militant/ scientific atheism, radical extermination, Russification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, liquidation of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, etc. Special attention is paid to the Soviet secular/political religion (Marxism-Leninism) as a key basis for the implementation of an aggressive policy regarding the historical memory and cultural identity of the Ukrainian people and a manipulative tool for the destruction of Ukrainian history, culture, worldview, nation, state and law in the information, hybrid, total, full-scale and other Russia’s wars against Ukraine. The article substantiates that improved legislation with an effective legal mechanism for its implementation, a strong civil society with developed institutions, including the institution of religion (church), adequate guarantees of religious rights and freedoms are important factors in ensuring state, national, religious security and victory of Ukraine (at the current stage) in the war waged against it by the Russian Federation.

"Hrvatska pravoslavna crkva" - od ideje do realizacije

The "Croatian Orthodox Church" was a religious institution whose founding was a completely political project of the Independent State of Croatia. After eliminating the Serbian Orthodox Church from the areas controlled by Ustasha regime and crimes committed against the civilians of Serbian origin and of Orthodox religion by that regime, under the huge pressure of Germany, Ante Pavelić accepted the already existing idea of forming the "Croatian Orthodox Church". This religious organisation had the identical form as all other Orthodox churches. However, the main difference between this and other Orthodox churches was that this religious organisation was not recognised in any, primarily ecclesiastical-canonical way, by any other autocephalous churches. It was exactly because of this that the "Croatian Orthodox Church" represented a classic example of para-synagogue. As such, it is an interesting topic for researches, especially if we keep in mind current happenings on the geopolitical scene and modern attempts of founding new churches and destroying the unity and harmony among autocephalous Orthodox churches.

Ikony Bogarodzicy otoczone kultem w prawosławnych parafiach Białegostoku

One of the essential elements of Orthodox sacred architecture is elements of the temple's equipment. Some, related to interior design, are utilitarian, while others have a sacral feature, constituting objects of worship. Icons play a significant role in the equipment of Orthodox churches. Their location in the church is associated with elaborate schemes and rules. Those in the iconostasis separate the nave from the presbyterium. Each of them, depicting biblical scenes or figures of God and saints, has its specific place. There also are icons in the central nave, on frescoes, and on polychromes. This article focuses on showing icons outside the iconostasis. They designate new places of worship in the central nave of the Orthodox churches. These are locally revered icons associated with a specific temple or town. Among them, the most common are images of the Virgin Mary. On the example of the extensive parish network of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Bialystok in Podlaskie Voivodeship, the author attempts to show the diversity of iconographic images as well as will try to find elements connecting various types of icons of the Virgin Mary present in Orthodox churches in Bialystok. The author decided to concentrate on those iconographic representations that apart from architectural and artistic value carry a sacral charge, i.g. subjects of a unique cult in local communities. The aim of this article is to present the icons of the Mother of God from Orthodox churches in Bialystok which are locally venerated and to try to systematize the elements of this cult manifested in services, individual worship and inspirations and references.

Листи мистецтвознавця Василя Пуцка до отця Володимира Яреми (1973–1994) (з фондів відділу рукописів Львівської національної наукової бібліотеки України імені В. Стефаника)

Attention to the epistolary heritage of Ukrainian cultural figures is relevant nowadays as one of the most important narrative and documentary sources. In particular, the problem of publishing the author’s epistolary in source studies, in particular in biography, occupies an exceptional place. The purpose and task of this publication was to present the letters of one of the most prominent Ukrainian art critics, Vasyl Putsko (Born in 1941), to Fr. Volodymyr Yarema (1915–2000), who, having lived the lion’s share of his life outside Ukraine, still made a significant contribution to the development of national science. Letters of V. Putskо to Fr. V. Yaremy (in monasticism – Dymytrii), pastor of the church of St. Peter and Paul in Lviv, a researcher of church art, later a church figure, the patriarch of Kyiv and all Ukraine of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church is an important source for studying the formation of national art history. Against the background of the biography of V. Putsk, the subject of his art history interests is analyzed. A bibliography of his main works for the years 1977–2021 has been compiled.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine: An Ancient Infant

Abstract This paper analyzes four formative periods of Ukrainian Church life: the first Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of 1921; the evolution of Ukrainian Orthodox identity in the diaspora; the late and post-Soviet autocephalous Orthodox Churches; and the contribution of the Maidan to Ukrainian Orthodox identity. The presentation concludes by posing a crucial question to the young Orthodox Church of Ukraine: Will the Orthodox Church of Ukraine rely solely on its past in shaping its mission? If so, is this a useable past or nostalgia, an attempt to recreate a past that contains no yeast for the present? The question of identity is crucial because it is at the core of a sense of community self-awareness that forms and shapes its activity. In the Church, identity is inexorably connected with mission.

Осередок УАПЦ у Подєбрадах міжвоєнної ЧСР (1924-1939 рр.)

Th e purpose of the study is to characterize the activities of the Podebrady centre of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine in interwar Czechoslovakia. Th e research methodology is based on the principles of concrete-historical, problem-chronological approaches, objectivity, and integrity, as well as the use of methods of analysis and synthesis. Th e scientifi c novelty lies in refl ecting the solution of Ukrainian emigration to the issue of the Ukrainianization of the Church. Conclusions. Th e Podebrady Ukrainian Orthodox movement was represented by three separate groups of believers. Th e fi rst belonged to the canonical ju- risdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church under Archbishop Gorazd (Pavlika, 1879–1942). The second, mostly “autocephalists”, – the Supreme Church Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for emigration on the territory of the Czechoslovak Republic, headed by the famous politician Serhii Shelukhin (1864–1938) and the connoisseur of Ukrainian church life, specialist historian Vasyl Bidnov (1874–1935) – it was subordinate to the Constantinople to the patriarch. Archbishop Savvatii was the head of the group of “Ukrainian Praguers” (Vrabets, 1880–1952). Th e third group of Ukrainian emigrants joined the Russian Orthodox parish and recognized the authority of Bishop Serhii (Korolyova, 1881–1952). Th e emigration “autocephalous” centre arose in the resort town of Podebrady, 20 km from Prague, and had 182 Ukrainian Academy of Economics students and 51 teachers. From 1924 to 1939, Hryhoriy Melnyk (1893 – aft er 1939) was the Podebrady “autocephalists” pastor. Th e members of the Orthodox Brotherhood, named aft er Saints Cyril and Methodius, were active participants in the life of the Ukrainian emigration community in interwar Czechoslovakia. Th ey left the most noticeable mark not only in main- taining high morale but also in the material support of other exiles and their families in the fi ght against drunkenness, suicide, and eugenics.

Rev. Henryk Paprocki’s Contribution to Poland’s Orthodox Translation

The article discloses the history and state of religious translation in Poland via the prism of one confession (the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church) and of one translator (Rev. Prof Henryk Paprocki). Although the translation history of the Orthodox Liturgy in Poland is not so short, its achievements centred around the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom and prayer-books, while the large-scale program of translating Orthodox liturgical texts into Polish is still a one-man enterprise. This state of arts postpones the time of possessing the full Polish-language corpus of Orthodox liturgical texts, but it also means that the academic and ecclesiastical reception of these translations is slow and sporadic, and in many cases, the translator remains alone in shaping translation strategies for highly authoritative texts as those for liturgical praxis.

Political activity of the Belarusian Autocephalic Orthodox Church in 1950–1982

The article is devoted to the consideration of the political activity of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC) in 1950–1982. For several decades, the named religious organization carried out the functions of consolidating the post-war Belarusian Diaspora, focused on supporting the Council of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR). What happened in the second half 1950s the change in the strategy of American foreign policy associated with the adoption of the doctrine of “rolling back communism” entailed the involvement of the BAOC in carrying out events of a pronounced anti-Soviet character. In 1957, the tradition of annual visits to the US Congress by the hierarchs and clerics of the BAOC on the days of celebrating the next anniversaries of the proclamation of the BNR’s independence was established. During these visits, Belarusian clergy opened parliamentary sessions with prayers for an early fall of the communist system and positioned the Council of the BNR as the only legitimate body of Belarusian state power. Since 1960, representatives of the BAOC have taken an active part in events dedicated to the “Captive Nations Weeks”, initiated by the US Congress and aimed at demonstrating widespread condemnation of the Soviet political system. The regular participation of the clergy of the BAOC in these events testifies to the involvement of the religious organization in question in active political activity, which followed the mainstream of the US foreign policy strategy and had a pronounced anti-Soviet character.