Only faith will help soldiers regain themselves after the war - Bishop Denys Serdichenko

Bishop Denys Serdichenko of the Odesa People's Church talks about the challenges of military chaplaincy and the spiritual sickness of society. He criticizes the official humiliation of chaplains and condemns covetousness. Denys has been immersed in history for a long time, so we talked to the bishop about how old Odesa is, who criticizes their Easter reconstruction on Deribasovska Street and why, and how the church can become a pillar in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Watch the full video on Intent's YouTube channel

How did your church get involved in chaplaincy ministry? What was the impetus?

We are a very active church in Odesa. And it's not just for the sake of saying we want to do something. This is a call. We love Ukraine very much. And since 2014, we have been traveling to the East and constantly supporting soldiers. Among them are our fallen parishioners. You can see a memorial plaque dedicated to them in front of the church. So chaplaincy is not something new for us.

And when the full-scale war began, we went to the front. I got behind the wheel myself. We brought humanitarian aid, evacuated people, helped soldiers. The front was changing very quickly. It was very difficult. We started working when there was no official chaplaincy. We worked as best we could. We buried the guys, helped them, provided psychological and spiritual support.

When chaplaincy became official, we were trained and started working more systematically. Now my wife is a military chaplain. She works with the guys on the front line. We have about 20 other chaplains. Some work in hospitals, others with veterans, and others at the front. That is, there are different areas. Now I coordinate all these processes.

And now we see that what we used to do was not work. All this is just a preparation for the big work after the war.

What are the main challenges for chaplains today, both spiritual and organizational?

I see that not everyone understands chaplaincy. This is a very painful issue for me because military officers do not realize what it is. For them, it is a Soviet political officer who will tell the soldiers: "Come on, hey, hey, go ahead". They don't realize that chaplaincy is a priest who cares about the soul, helps a person to go through some difficult emotional state. We are now working with veterans who cannot sleep because they are afraid to see battle and blood in their dreams again. But officials do not understand this, officers do not understand this, because they have a soviet mentality. And I can say that they even humiliate chaplaincy. When they hire a chaplain, they immediately turn him into a political officer. And then the soldiers ask to bring them volunteer chaplains, because they are not biased, they come as priests.

So I come with my wife, and the soldiers want to open up to her even more, because they see her as a mother, a sister to whom they can complain, to whom they can cry. And I see this as a challenge, because not everyone understands that soldiers are vulnerable, they want to talk about their feelings.

Another problem is the chaplain's moral life. That is, he should be a husband of one wife, he should not drink alcohol and so on. But the army usually turns a blind eye to this, because there is a position and the chaplain has to do his job. That is, to come and motivate the soldiers to go on the attack. I understand that someone also needs to do this work, but the most important problem is the spiritual purity of the chaplain himself. He should be a moral example, but army life often absorbs him. Among chaplains, families are destroyed, unnecessary swearing and alcohol appear. Now, when I go to the front, I work not with soldiers, but with chaplains. I see that they need my help more.

PHOTO: Intent, Natalia Dovbysh

Did you try to convey this idea to the Council of Churches, the relevant military leadership?

There was a roundtable with the military administration of Odesa region, but I heard a lack of understanding of my position on the part of the military. I suggested: let's gather the officers, I want to tell them what chaplaincy is. But now no one wants to listen. And all the priests from the Council of Churches understand this.

There is also the problem that the church has no influence on contract chaplains. These people are, as they say, on their own. That is, how do they see it in the army? Oh, he was a deacon or a good person, he can be a chaplain. But this is wrong. Only a priest can be a chaplain. That is, not a parishioner who knows a little bit of the Bible, and not a deacon. I want to be heard: chaplaincy is a priesthood. And churches should have a religious influence on chaplains.

Because it is the priest and his spiritual life that will withstand the confessions of soldiers. Psychologists there are enough for two weeks, then rehabilitation is needed.

At the risk of my life, I want to have a moral influence on the army: to prevent drugs, alcohol, and suicide. We can help with this, and we do. That is, I want it to be like in civilized countries, when a soldier goes to a chaplain after a battle, to a church, and he prays. The chaplain also prays for him. A chaplain is a friend, someone who stands by your side. He is not an official to whom one has to report. A soldier can be weak with him, can be frank, can talk about his fears. The chaplain keeps confessions. He cannot disclose it. And no one, neither the prosecutor's office nor anyone else, has the right to force a chaplain to testify against a person. And when a soldier trusts, he is discharged, and then he is able to fulfill his obligations to the country.

How has your personal understanding of faith changed through your work with the military?

My faith is getting stronger. When the war started, I was told that I was on the Russians' blacklist. They wanted me to leave, but I stayed because it is better to die than to live with a guilty conscience. I prayed then because it was hard. In addition to having a wife and small children, I am a priest, I have a vocation. I said: "Lord, I will take care of yours, and you will take care of mine." After that, I felt like my soul died. And then there was no more fear.

In general, I changed a lot during this period. On the one hand, I became more categorical, stopped being silent, and on the other hand, I began to love people more, became softer, and perhaps became more mature.

Your church works with memorialization. You said that you placed a memorial plaque about the dead parishioners near the church. Who was the initiator?

It was my idea because I think we should remember and honor these people. We knew these guys, we grew up with them. They are from our Sunday school. I want every person who goes to church and has the opportunity to glorify God to see who gave them this freedom. There are four boys there. Three of them did not even have wives. This is a tragedy.

Let's move on to the topic of the Easter reenactment. How did this idea come about?

The reenactment combines many areas that are close to me. 1. I love history. 2. As a sculptor, I like to do something with my hands. 3. 3. Religious themes. I am also interested in the history of Odesa. I believe that the city began not 600 or 200 years ago, but from the ancient period.

Thus, the reconstruction immerses Odessans in a historical event. They are used to the idea that Easter is when you have to go somewhere and stay awake, but here everything is clear. We show the last journey of Jesus Christ on this earth. I would like to note that this is the largest reconstruction in Europe with a religious connotation. It combines science, popularization, and religion.

PHOTO: Intent, Natalia Dovbysh

How do you feel about the criticism of this event?

In 2013, we sued the Orthodox of the Moscow Patriarchate. During the trial, they claimed that they were in the same legal field as Russia, where the dominant religion is Orthodoxy, which has the right to close the event. Even the Rossiya TV channel came.

In 2014, we were scared that there would be explosions during the reconstruction. We were guarded by the Self-Defense. Despite everything, we still took the risk and held the reconstruction. My late father, who was a bishop at the time, stood up for us, for the youth, and said: "I will be in front, if someone dies, it will be me." And we felt his support. We have always been for Ukraine, for Odesa. We want our city to be famous not for banditry, but for good deeds.

And during the full-scale reconstruction, we held this event, and it was difficult. At the end of the reconstruction, the army was already shooting down drones. Yes, there are risks. But I know that God protects. I believe that during the war we have to do this. We have to give people hope, to organize great events to make people feel light. At the same time, every year we change something. We have organized a fashion show, the Lord's Supper, and the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. In general, if we have sponsors, we can do all this on a larger scale.

Let's talk about the Council of Churches, about interfaith dialogue. How united is the religious community of Odesa today?

A year ago, the Council of Churches finally appeared in Odesa, which was initiated not by deputies or the authorities, but by us, the religious. We did a lot of joint projects, statements, and prayers. And I really like it. I want the authorities to pay attention to us and, like in other cities, open sessions with a joint prayer. We don't want to influence the political process. It is not important to us. I am not a member of the Moscow Patriarchate to aspire to become a deputy. But I want my country to be spiritual, and I want us, the priests, to pray at such events as City Day and Independence Day.

What areas of assistance are currently a priority for your community? What difficulties do you face in this work - logistics, resources, psychological burnout?

We have different areas of work. We work with people with disabilities, veterans, the poor and other categories.

At the beginning of the full-scale program, there were some difficulties, but now there are others. People have lost faith. No, not in us. In the future. It is hard for people to believe that everything will be fine. This is the fourth year of the war. For example, those who helped from abroad, they don't want to help anymore. They have a bitter experience with Ukraine. There are people who no longer have anything to give. And when a person comes and says: "I need something," and we can't give it to them, we feel hard at heart. It's good that Odesa residents remain friendly and bring us their things. We hem, sort, wash and then distribute them to people. In other words, we are looking for ways to help people. But they are tired and want some kind of future. They don't see it. And this is a very big challenge. We have to unite and think, both with the authorities and with religious leaders, opinion leaders, how to give people hope?

And how do you see the church in ten years?

The church that rose up during the war and was with people and their pain will be powerful. Now we are not talking about any particular denomination. It is time for a local, individual church that practiced its faith during the war. Such a religious community will grow and gain trust. The denomination is not important here, but the spirit. Those priests who stood up for people's lives will be respected.

What should be the role of the church in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine?

It is important. Because soldiers will come from the front. The war continues in their minds. And only faith can change them. But until our government realizes that the church plays an important role in rehabilitation, it will be difficult. The government must turn to the church and say: "We need help." And the church will help.

With this material, Intent continues a series of video conversations with clergymen from southern Ukraine. The purpose of this series is to show as broad and complete a picture of religious life as possible.

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