Ukraine’s Orthodox Church authorities have supported Belarusian protesters and suggested the Belarusian church to also gain independence from the Russian Orthodox Church, as Ukraine did last year.
Moscow’s “uncanonical” annexation of the Belarusian Orthodox Church remains a tragedy for all Eastern European Orthodoxy, Metropolitan Epifaniy, leader of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church, wrote on Facebook on Aug. 13, responding to the nationwide protests in Belarus, which started after the Aug. 9 presidential election that many believed rigged.
“These very days our fellow Belarusians are suffering — our neighbors, with whom… for many centuries, we shared mutual church and national history,” Epifaniy said.
He mentioned Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s path to independence, highlighting the will of the Ukrainian people as the main catalyst in obtaining in 2019 a tomos — a religious decree that grants autonomy to an Orthodox church — from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the highest Orthodox authority.
Before that, there were three separate Orthodox churches in Ukraine: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Only the latter was officially recognized by Constantinople.
The move to establish the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine by merging the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Autocephalous Church marked a historic break with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, ending over three centuries of Russian spiritual influence over Ukraine’s most popular faith.
“The Belarusian Orthodox Church has the same reasons and rights to ask the mother church to grant it a tomos, when they want this,” said Epifaniy, hinting that the Belarusian church should reconsider its union with the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Belarusian Orthodox Church forms part of the Russian Orthodox Church, representing the Russian church in Belarus. Metropolitan Pavel, a Russian citizen, has been the Patriarchal Exarch to all of Belarus since 2013.
When Ukraine’s church got independence, the Russian Orthodox Church responded by severing all its ties with Constantinople. Consequently, the Belarusian Orthodox Church followed in Moscow’s footsteps, refusing to recognize the independence of the church in Ukraine.
In 2019, Metropolitan Pavel ruled out the possibility of independence for the Belarusian Orthodox Church, stating that it would be a gravestone for Orthodoxy in Belarus.
“If the same happens in Belarus, that would mean the death of Belarusian Orthodox Church,” warned the Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus, referring to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s split from Moscow.
Metropolitan Epifaniy, however, continues to support Belarusians, applauding the demonstrators’ will to “protect the democratic and independent future” of Belarus. His message also contained a picture of a white-red-white flag, a symbol of the ongoing protests in Belarus.
“My voice echoes those who demand the immediate cease of violence, the release of thousands wrongfully detained and the constructive dialogue between the government and Belarusian society,” said Epifaniy.
