Ukrainian crisis may split Russian Orthodox Church

[hrmjustin]

Sophia Kishkovsky

MOSCOW (RNS) As Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s border and a controversial secession vote in Crimea approaches Sunday (March 16), Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church called for prayers “that brothers of one faith and one blood never bring destruction to one another.”

Russia has prided itself on its revival of Orthodox Christianity after decades of Soviet persecution, but a war with the Ukraine could splinter the Russian Orthodox Church.

That church has its roots in Kiev, where Prince Vladimir baptized his people as Christians in 988, an event viewed as a cornerstone of Russian and Ukrainian identity. It has even deeper roots in Crimea, where, according to legend, Vladimir was himself baptized by Byzantine emissaries.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which has 12,500 congregations, is the largest of three Orthodox churches in Ukraine.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/03/14/ukrainian-crisis-may-split-russian-orthodox-church/

[rug]

1. I hadn't thought about that.

[hrmjustin]

2. The Russian Church likes it's history and Ukraine is a part of the church's history.

[rug]

3. Indeed. The Ukraine Church is even older than the Russian.

[hrmjustin]

4. I hope the patriarch of Moscow can talk Putin into giving up this mess.

[rug]

5. Me too. The history of tyrants bowing to patriarchs is not very promising.

In fact, I can think of only one, Attila and Leo in 452.

[hrmjustin]

6. I can't think of any myself.