The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Patriarch of Constantinople, the two main centers of power of Orthodox Christianity, are fighting for ecclesiastical sovereignty in Ukraine. Now the Russian Orthodox Church has broken off contact with the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church said that another communion with Constantinople was not possible. This was reported by Russian agencies from a meeting of the highest body of the Russian Orthodox Church. For the faithful, breaking off contact means that priests from both churches can no longer worship together and believers from the two churches can no longer receive communion together.

The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest national church. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, on the other hand, is the highest ranking leader of the worldwide Orthodox Church, including the Russian Orthodox Church.

Currently Bartolomaios I. held the office. Last week he had agreed to secede the Ukrainian church from Moscow. This is considered as an intermediate step to the ecclesiastical independence of Ukraine.

Ukrainian churches advance union

The church landscape in Ukraine is currently fragmented. Three Orthodox churches are competing there:

  • the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which reports to the Moscow Patriarchate
  • the Kiev Patriarchate founded in 1992, and
  • the Ukrainian-Autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Bishops from the last two churches announced that they wanted to work for an association and to create a common Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The political leadership of Ukraine wants to repress the influence of the hostile Russian church in conflict with Moscow.

The Russian Orthodox Church, however, has been counting on Ukraine for centuries. Moscow will not recognize the decision, said Ilarion, a Russian Orthodox metropolitan, comparable to a senior bishop, who heads several dioceses. Ilarion is also responsible for external relations. He accused Bartolomaios of splitting the church.

Already in 1996, the Moscow Patriarchate had left contact with Constantinople. At the time, both were fighting over the church in Estonia. Since then there are two Orthodox churches. Strictly speaking, according to orthodox church law, there can only be one church per place.