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Ukrainian President Want National Church Separate From Moscow Patriarchate

By Howard M. Friedman

Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko wants to create a Ukrainian Orthodox Church, ending affiliation with the Russian Orthodox patriarchate in Moscow. Saturday's Washington Post reported that at the start of a prayer service marking the 1,020th anniversary of Ukraine's and Russia's conversion to Christianity, Yushchenko said: "I believe that, as if by the gift of God, as a historical truth and justice, a national self-governing church will be established in Ukraine," and asked visiting leader of the Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I of Constantinople, to approve the idea. Bartholomew's response was non-committal, as he became the first head of the Orthodox Church to visit Ukraine in 350 years. Many fear that if Constantinople supports Ukraine's move, this could lead to a major schism with Moscow. Unlike Ukraine, countries such as Georgia and Bulgaria have their own Orthodox Patriarchs.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on July 28, 2008 (boomark / email).