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Geopolitical Vector of Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the Context of National Security

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Understanding Religious Violence

Abstract

Ukraine is one of the largest European countries. The country is officially secular but the religiosity level of citizens in the Ukraine is one of the highest in Europe. Ukraine is also multi-Christian (several different Orthodox Churches, Protestant denominations). Within its borders there are also Muslims, Jews and new religious movements. Long-term monitoring by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) suggests that Ukrainian Orthodox Church has the highest level of trust of any church within the population.

Orthodoxy, the major religious tradition in the Ukraine, is split into several competing Orthodox Churches since the 1990s whilst there is no local autocephalous Orthodox Church, that is, one which has canonical communication with and is recognised by other “autonomous” Orthodox churches within the international Orthodox Ecumenical Council. We will use the term “Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church” or ULOC to refer to this idea of an autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Ukraine. But the term “local church” does not automatically imply “national church”. A local church is an autonomous (autocephalous) church within the independent state. This church is an administrative unit that is completely independent from other Orthodox Churches but united with them only in canonical communion. Moreover, the Ukrainian society does not say that there is a need for a national Orthodox Church.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Razumkov centre: majority of Ukrainians believe in God [https://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/community/social_questioning/63502].

  2. 2.

    In Ukraine 71% of the population identified themselves as religious, and 3% as atheists [http://www.segodnya.ua/ukraine/V-Ukraine-71-naseleniya-nazvali-sebya-religioznymi-a-3-ateistami.html].

  3. 3.

    Religious organisations in Ukraine (as on January 1, 2016) [https://risu.org.ua/ua/index/resourses/statistics/ukr2016/63055/].

  4. 4.

    Religion in Ukraine [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5].

  5. 5.

    The Church of Constantinople is one of the 14 or 15 autocephalous churches, also referred to as the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who has the status of primus inter pares (first among equals) among the world’s Orthodox bishops.

  6. 6.

    Battlefield—Ukraine, or “canonical” against “canonical” [http://tyzhden.ua/Society/29556].

  7. 7.

    The 2014 Ukrainian revolution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Ukrainian_revolution].

  8. 8.

    Orthodoxy across countries [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%BE_%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BC].

  9. 9.

    Yakunin G. Historical way of Orthodox Taliban [http://www.vehi.net/politika/yakunin.html].

  10. 10.

    Yakunin G. Historical way of Orthodox Taliban [http://www.vehi.net/politika/yakunin.html].

  11. 11.

    More than 70% of Ukrainians consider themselves believers—poll [https://press.unian.net/press/1640077-bolee-70-ukraintsev-schitayut-sebya-veruyuschimi-opros.html].

  12. 12.

    Ibidem.

  13. 13.

    Ibidem.

  14. 14.

    The same.

  15. 15.

    The same.

  16. 16.

    The issue of faith. Ukrainians and religion—sociological survey [http://rian.com.ua/analytics/20161124/1018999887.html].

  17. 17.

    Sahan, O. Yedyna Pomisna Pravoslavna Tserkva v Ukraini: suspilnyi zapyt ta neobkhidnist konstytuiuvannia/O. Sahan. – K.: KPBA, 2016. – 40 s.

  18. 18.

    The Thomos is a decree of the local Orthodox primate used to signify important issues of church organisation. In particular, the issue of a Thomos by the “mother” church is used to grant autonomy in the management of a Local Church or to grant it autocephalous status. The Thomos is used for the more solemn and significant signature than for other patriarchal decrees.

  19. 19.

    Orthodoxy across countries [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B5_%D0%BF%D0%BE_%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BC].

  20. 20.

    Opportunities for integrating the Orthodox Churches [http://old.niss.gov.ua/monitor/Juli2009/25.htm].

  21. 21.

    Great Pan-Orthodox Cathedral: decomposed for Ukraine [http://argumentua.com/stati/velikii-vsepravoslavnyi-sobor-rasklady-dlya-ukrainy].

  22. 22.

    Statistics: Ukrainian Orthodox Church—the largest Orthodox denomination in Ukraine [http://news.church.ua/2016/09/27/statistika-ukrajinska-pravoslavna-cerkva-najbilsha-pravoslavna-konfesiya-v-ukrajini/].

  23. 23.

    Euromaidan [https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%84%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD].

  24. 24.

    The change of power in Ukraine in 2014 [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A3%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%B2_2014_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%83].

  25. 25.

    Ukraine’s revolution of dignity: The dynamics of Euromaidan [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1879366515000305].

  26. 26.

    If Ukraine had a common Orthodox Church, perhaps there would be no of war on Donbass—Filaret [http://censor.net.ua/news/396423/esli_by_v_ukraine_byla_edinaya_pravoslavnaya_tserkov_vozmojno_ne_bylo_by_voyiny_na_donbasse_filaret].

  27. 27.

    Churches came to Maidan [http://www.religion.in.ua/zmi/ukrainian_zmi/24334-cerkvi-vyshli-na-majdan.html].

  28. 28.

    Unity Cathedral of UAOC and UOC-KP may not take place —Metropolitan Macarius (Maletic) [http://risu.org.ua/ru/index/all_news/confessional/orthodox_relations/60274].

  29. 29.

    Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary (Pakanich): “The mutual hate can put the future of Ukraine on the brink of the abyss” [http://rian.com.ua/interview/20150921/374016982.html].

  30. 30.

    Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary (Pakanich): “The mutual hate can put the future of Ukraine on the brink of the abyss” [http://rian.com.ua/interview/20150921/374016982.html].

  31. 31.

    Autocephalia: “PRO” & “CONTRA” [http://www.religion.in.ua/1843-autocephalia-pro-contra.html].

  32. 32.

    Autocephalia: “PRO” & “CONTRA” [http://www.religion.in.ua/1843-autocephalia-pro-contra.html].

  33. 33.

    The unification process continues with the mediation of the Ecumenical Patriarch [https://day.kyiv.ua/ru/article/den-ukrainy/obedinitelnyy-process-prodolzhaetsya].

  34. 34.

    Statistics: Ukrainian Orthodox Church—the largest Orthodox denomination in Ukraine [http://news.church.ua/2016/09/27/statistika-ukrajinska-pravoslavna-cerkva-najbilsha-pravoslavna-konfesiya-v-ukrajini/].

  35. 35.

    http://razumkov.org.ua/en/.

  36. 36.

    www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=rus&cat=reports&page=3.

  37. 37.

    Scandalous Cathedral of the UOC-MP eyewitness [http://www.religion.in.ua/zmi/foreign_zmi/10893-skandalnyj-sobor-upc-mp-glazami-ochevidca.html].

  38. 38.

    History of Religion in Ukraine: (in ten books). Book 3: Orthodoxy in Ukraine [Tekst]/A. Kolodnyy, V. Klymov; NAS of Ukraine. – Kyiv, 1999. p. 559.

  39. 39.

    Ukrayins’ka Pravoslavna Tserkva: s’ohodennya i perspektyvy [http://orthodox.org.ua/article/ukra%D1%97nska-pravoslavna-tserkva-sogodennya-%D1%96-perspektivi].

  40. 40.

    The Cabinet opposed Kirill’s visit to Ukraine [http://lb.ua/society/2014/06/19/270317_chetverg_kievskoy_lavre_sostoitsya].

  41. 41.

    Kalenichenko, T. Definition of the role of the church on the background of double standards—flashback Data Centre Razumkov [http://risu.org.ua/ua/index/exclusive/reportage/63516].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Yevhen Kharkovshchenko & Olena Bortnikova

Authors
  1. Yevhen Kharkovshchenko
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  2. Olena Bortnikova
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    James Dingley

  2. University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Marcello Mollica

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Kharkovshchenko, Y., Bortnikova, O. (2018). Geopolitical Vector of Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the Context of National Security. In: Dingley, J., Mollica, M. (eds) Understanding Religious Violence. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00284-8_5

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