Ukrainian faithful of Moscow Patriarchate against Putin’s invasion
February 25, 2022
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CWN Editor's Note: The Ukrainian Orthodox faithful—including those who remain loyal to the Moscow patriarchate—are strongly opposed to the Russian invasion of their country, a new survey shows.
The survey by the Razumkov found that 65% of the Orthodox faithful support the position taken by the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which has broken with Moscow, and strongly supports the Kiev government. The survey also showed that only 10% of the country’s Orthodox agree with the claims of the Moscow patriarchate, which has charged that the Kiev government favors the autonomous churches over those affiliated with Moscow.
Until recently, Ukraine’s Orthodox faithful were divided into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, with only the first canonically recognized by other Orthodox churches. In 2018, the latter two bodies united to form the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, granted canonical recognition to the OCU in 2019—a decision condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church.
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