On December 15, the Unification Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was held in Kyiv. This day was marked the beginning of the Ukrainian autocephaly. Priest Alyaksandr Shramko explains what Ukrainian autocephaly can mean for the Belarusian church and believers.
The desire of the Ukrainian church to secede from Russia after the events in Crimea and Donbas can be easily explained. Ukrainians do not want anything to do with Moscow. Is everything smooth in the Belarus-Russia relations in the religious sphere? Can the Ukrainian example inspire the Belarusian clergy to change? And will the Belarusian authorities allow it?
“I am sure that the Belarusian state would like to have an independent church. And there is a negative aspect of autocephaly: now that the church has its center beyond the borders of the state, it has some kind of autonomy. The head of Belarus, Lukashenka, or the state cannot do everything that it wants to do. It can exert influence, but it cannot do everything that it wants. The main control comes from somewhere else. And then there may be such a “pocket” church — they will do that I say. Therefore, the state is interested in having an independent church, but everything is restrained by the fact that the state is under the influence of Russia and depends on it,” Alyaksandr Shramko said.
According to Shramko, the strong influence of Russia is felt in various areas of church life. The appointment of a new Metropolitan Pavel was this exact evidence.
Will Belarusian clergy want to change the rules of the game? Look for the answer to this and other questions in the program “Talk of the Day” with Svyatlana Kalinkina and priest Alyaksandr Shramko.
