The war for spiritual independence

This week, the Ukrainian parliament approved a law banning the religious activities of organizations affiliated with Russia. The bill, which received the votes of 265 Ukrainian members of parliament, will be signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The law will provide the legal basis for banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Although the Moscow-backed Ukrainian Orthodox Church claims to have severed ties in 2022 with Russian Patriarch Kirill, who blessed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the church's priests and financial supporters have been caught multiple times in Ukraine aiding the Russian army. Ukrainian leaders have accused the Moscow-backed Ukrainian Orthodox Church of contributing to Russia's 30-month-long war against Ukraine by spreading pro-Russian propaganda and harboring spies.

In 2019, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople granted autocephaly (autonomy) to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This led to the establishment of the (pro-Western) Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, more than 600 churches have transferred from the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. More than 8,000 remain under the control of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Orthodox faith was perhaps the last thing that brought these two countries and peoples so close together. However, after this controversial law comes into effect, detailed inspections of the activities of priests in churches or monasteries will intensify.

While radical measures are being taken in Ukraine to ban Russia's influence over the chain of faith, quite interesting things are happening in another country where Russia does not want to lose its political and religious influence: Moldova. The Moldovan press wrote in August that several groups of priests affiliated with the Metropolis of Moldova have made and will continue to make more visits to Moscow. The press claims that these visits are sponsored by Ilan Shor, a fugitive Moldovan politician who has taken refuge in Russia. A referendum will be held in Moldova on October 20. Moldovans will be asked whether they want their country to become a member of the European Union. The Moldovan priests who went to Moscow are reportedly being trained on how to talk to Moldovans in the regions where they work to convince them to vote "against" joining the EU.

The banning of the Metropolis of Moldova, which is affiliated with the Russian Patriarchate, is not currently being discussed in Moldova. This is because approximately 96.8% of the Moldovan population identifies as Orthodox and traditionally feels affiliated with the Russian Patriarchate. The majority of those who are Orthodox (about 1,200 parishes) belong to the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. The Metropolis of Bessarabia, which is affiliated with the Romanian Orthodox Church (Moldova's second Metropolis), has about 130 parishes.

The banning of the religious activities of the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as the stance of the Moscow Patriarchate regarding the war in Ukraine, which it describes as "sacred," has led many Moldovan politicians to comment on these bans as well.

Due to the war, many priests have left the Moldovan Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, and have continued their activities in the Metropolis of Bessarabia, which is affiliated with the Romanian Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy and the entire Russian Orthodox Church play a major role in the Russian nation's process of cultural self-identification and self-formation. When Vladimir Putin returned to the Russian presidency, he realized that he could expand his influence with the help of the church, both inside and outside Russia. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church became a very important ally of the Kremlin. Most Russians, in addition to the religious aspect, see Orthodoxy as a cultural and national element that distinguishes them from other peoples.

As I wanted to write the conclusion of today's article, some moments from my childhood came to my mind. When I was little, I would go to church services on Sundays with my grandfather at his invitation. Naturally, at that age, I didn't know whether I wanted to go to church or not. For those who don't know, I would like to point out that the Sunday service, where Orthodox Christians stand for hours, is long and that in small villages, no one dared to leave before the priest's speech at the end of the service. It was a great shame. I remember hearing the priests' sentences many times, telling the villagers who they should vote for and who they should support. Back then, when I was little, I didn't understand why I had to listen to such speeches in church, but now that I've grown up, I understand this mystery!

Politics and religion can always be used everywhere. Regardless of their age, country, or religion, people are constantly in need of stories told to us by those who are "greater" than us.