Not a shrine, but a symbol of manipulation: chaplain about Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is flourishing in Ukraine thanks to government support.

Father Oleksandr Smerechynsky, a well-known naval chaplain in Odesa, a confessor of the local Euromaidan and deputy head of the Department of Maritime Apostolate of the UGCC, said this for the Intensive.

"There was a huge state support. We remember how the Transfiguration Cathedral was built. Another interesting point is how much they worried about the destruction of the historical monument. But this is not a historical monument, it was completed in 2010, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, the fact that the missile hit it is blasphemy and shouldn't be so. But there is also manipulation here: they say that the "shrine of Odesa" was destroyed. This is not the shrine of Odesa, it is the shrine of a separate church," he said.

The chaplain believes that instead of pressure and repressive measures, a much more effective approach to overcoming the dominance of the structures of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine would be to introduce equal conditions for all religious organizations. In his opinion, it is necessary not to support any of the denominations, but to give them the opportunity to operate in the same legal and economic field. In an environment of religious competition, he argues, the advantage naturally goes to those who truly have the trust of the community.

He is convinced that the UOC-MP would not disappear under such conditions, but its influence would be significantly reduced. As an example, Smerechynsky cites the situation with pro-Russian organizations in Odesa before 2014, which were active thanks to external funding. After this support was cut off, their influence came to naught.

Oleksandr Smerechynskyi expresses his belief that some of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate deliberately maintain ties with Moscow, or at least do not break with this influence, well aware of the benefits they receive in the current environment. He suggests that some members of the clergy do not move to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine not because of ideological beliefs, but for reasons of preserving influence, status and material opportunities that they are unlikely to be able to reproduce in another jurisdiction.

According to the chaplain, excessively harsh pressure from the state or the public on structures associated with the MPs can have the opposite effect. Instead of weakening the organization, such actions contribute to its internal cohesion. In addition, it allows individual clergymen to shape the image of "martyrs" around them, which further strengthens their authority among the faithful.

Smerechynsky also notes that despite the formal lack of support for the UOC-MP at the national level, in some regions, particularly in Odesa, this support from local authorities is maintained, allowing the church structure to continue to hold its ground.

Naval chaplain Oleksandr Smerechynsky drew attention to the transformations in the positioning of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate after 2014. According to him, before the war began, the names of churches clearly indicated affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate - this inscription was placed in large letters, while the name "Ukrainian Orthodox Church" was in much smaller print. However, after the beginning of Russian aggression, the situation changed - the signs were replaced, and the mention of the Moscow Patriarchate disappeared.

The chaplain believes that this change was not accidental, but rather an attempt to preserve the influence of the religious structure by avoiding direct association with the Russian religious center. He also suggests that some of the clergy and believers are sincerely convinced of the truthfulness of their own position. At the same time, he does not rule out that there are those among the church's leadership and clergy who deliberately manipulate the facts in an attempt to disguise their true ties to Moscow.

Ірина Глухова