Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ISTANBUL1459
2004-09-22 11:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Istanbul
Cable title:  

THE FUTURE OF ORTHODOXY

Tags:  PREL PHUM PGOV TU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISTANBUL 001459 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV TU
SUBJECT: THE FUTURE OF ORTHODOXY

REF: A. ISTANBUL 381

B. ISTANBUL 843

C. ISTANBUL 1279

D. ISTANBUL 5141

E. VATICAN 2671

F. ISTANBUL 1183

G. HAVANA 1227

H. ISTANBUL 71

I. 03 ISTANBUL 760

Classified By: Consul General David Arnett for Reasons 1.4 (b&d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISTANBUL 001459

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV TU
SUBJECT: THE FUTURE OF ORTHODOXY

REF: A. ISTANBUL 381

B. ISTANBUL 843

C. ISTANBUL 1279

D. ISTANBUL 5141

E. VATICAN 2671

F. ISTANBUL 1183

G. HAVANA 1227

H. ISTANBUL 71

I. 03 ISTANBUL 760

Classified By: Consul General David Arnett for Reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (sbu) Summary: In addition to the struggle to maintain
Istanbul as a viable seat for the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Bartholomew faces a rising challenge for moral and
ecclesiastical authority within the Orthodox world from
Moscow-based Russian Patriarch Alexy II. End Summary.


2. (sbu) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the first among
equals among Orthodox leaders worldwide, faces two challenges
that, left unresolved, threaten the very future of this
venerable, 1500-year old institution. The first is the
viability of Istanbul as a patriarchal seat. The Patriarch
traces his religious authority back to when Istanbul (then
Constantinople) was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire
and Christianity was adopted as the state religion. Today,
however, the Patriarch's once-vibrant flock of millions of
Greek Orthodox has fled (less than 3,000 remain) the
trappings of its historical legacy, including the Hagia
Sophia (the physical seat of the Patriarchate for almost a
millennium but now a museum),and the Halki Seminary (where
several generations of Orthodox priests were trained),and
countless other properties have been expropriated or shut
down. Patriarchate officials tell us that unless they reopen
the seminary, regain properties, and break free from the
burden of Turkish regulations (particularly the requirement
that the Patriarch be a Turkish citizen),the institution
will die along with the last dozen or so of its surviving
septuagenarian Metropolitans (see refs a-d and previous
cables for reporting on these issues).


3. (sbu) Even assuming that the Patriarch can secure the
viability of its Istanbul seat, however, Bartholomew faces
another major challenge from Moscow-based Russian Patriarch
Alexy II for ecclesiastical authority in the wider Orthodox
world. Styling itself as the "Third Rome," Moscow claims
that it assumed authority within the Orthodox community
beginning in the 15th century with the fall of

Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire, and much of the
Orthodox Balkans to the Ottoman Muslims and the subsequent
elevation of Metropolitan Job of Moscow to the rank of
Patriarch. Although temporarily suspended by the Soviet
regime's oppression of the Russian Orthodox Church for much
of the 20th century, the Moscow church's efforts to extend
its influence beyond its geographic jurisdiction have
continued unabated. With abundant sources of income among
its vibrant community of over 100 million faithful, three
seminaries in which to train new generations of clergy, and
open political support from the Russian government, Alexy is
well-placed to challenge Bartholomew on a number of fronts.

Shot Across the Bow: Estonia
--------------

4. (sbu) The first open dispute between Moscow and Istanbul
in recent years was over Estonia, where 50,000 Orthodox
Christians, mostly Russians, make their home. Although the
Estonian Church had placed itself under the jurisdiction of
the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch during its brief
independence from Russia between 1923 and 1944, Moscow had
since reasserted its control. After regaining independence
in 1991, at the request of Estonian Orthodox activists, and
with the approval of the Estonian government, Bartholomew
reasserted his jurisdiction over the Orthodox community and
installed an Archbishop in 1996. Alexy, who had previously
served himself as the Metropolitan for Estonia during the
later Soviet period, responded by temporarily severing formal
ties, or in Church parlance, "breaking communion" with
Bartholomew. After months of negotiation, both sides agreed
to allow the Estonians to choose for themselves (most
parishes chose Bartholomew, but most of the Russian Orthodox
population remains loyal to Moscow).

Struggle for the Heartland: Ukraine
--------------

5. (sbu) Looming large in comparison to the skirmish for
influence over Estonia is the impending struggle for the
loyalty of 40 million Ukrainian Orthodox faithful in Ukraine,
the original heartland of Eastern Slavic Orthodoxy.
Ukrainian Orthodox Christians are currently divided. The
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)
has the most parishes, followed by the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP),and the Ukrainian
Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC). Poll sggest,
howeer, tht most of the population islyal tothe smller
UOC-KP. (Note: In addition some 5 million Ukrainians
identify themselves a members of the Ukrainian Eastern-Rite
Catholic hurch, a church that is loyal to Pope John Paul II
in Rome, but continues to maintain Orthodox tradiions (the
existence of these churches remains a ajor source of
friction between the Orthodox andCatholic Churches, see refs
e-f)).


6. (sbu)The UOC-KP and the UAOC have appealed to Bartholomw
to help unite the fragmented Ukrainian Church ad help it
obtain independence from Moscow. Motivated by a combination
of altruism and a desire to regain authority assumed by
Moscow in the 17th century (but never recognized by
Istanbul),Bartholomew has dispatched envoys to mediate
between the various Churches. Moscow, meanwhile, is
reluctant to surrender its authority over a jurisdiction
which includes as many as a quarter of its total parishes and
has provided up to two-thirds of its clergy. Bartholomew's
point-man on this issue, Metropolitan Meliton of
Philadelphia, the Secretary of the Holy Synod of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, told poloff that the negotiation
process will likely take years, but that he hopes some
formula can be found whereby a unified Ukrainian Church is
granted autocephalous status under Istanbul, perhaps with an
understanding that Moscow will select or vet the appointments
of the senior-most clergy.

Orthodox in Havana?
--------------

7. (sbu) The most recent chapter in this ongoing rivalry took
place far from Moscow and Istanbul earlier this year in
Havana, Cuba. In a deliberate snub to his former superpower
patron, Fidel Castro offered to donate a church to the
Ecumenical Patriarchate and invited Bartholomew to visit to
celebrate the occasion. Despite considerable pressure from
the U.S. government (and this Consulate) to refuse the
invitation, Bartholomew told us that his ongoing struggle
with Alexy for influence in the Orthodox world compelled him
to accept; if he refused, Castro would simply offer the
Church to Alexy instead. Despite the small size of the
Orthodox community and the likely prospect that Castro would
seek to manipulate the visit to his own advantage,
Bartholomew visited in January, spent four days with Castro,
and gladly accepted the new church (see ref g-h).

Worldwide Battle for Hearts and Souls
--------------

8. (c) The Russian Patriarchate has not confined its
ambitions to its immediate neighbors and one-time client
states. In a much more conciliatory fashion, Moscow has
reached out to Orthodox communities in Western Europe, the
United States, and, most recently, in Asia. The Russian
Orthodox Church has long had a presence in Western Europe,
but has moved to open new churches and parishes throughout
the region. Last year, Alexy wrote to several Orthodox
Bishops in Europe offering them more autonomy if they were to
forsake Constantinople's authority for his own (ref i) and
has opened new churches throughout Europe. According to
Metropolitan Meliton, Moscow's established dioceses in
Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary,
and the Netherlands are in direct violation of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate's authority. Metropolitan Meliton told poloff
that he is also increasingly alarmed by similar moves into
India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and even the
Seychelles. The Patriarchate believes that these
expansionary efforts have the full support of the Russian
government. As Bartholomew himself told the CG earlier this
year, "the Russians constantly pursue political ends through
religion." Meliton told poloff that he has heard reports
that the Russian Foreign Ministry had concluded an agreement
with Alexy to allow the Russian Orthodox Church to open
chapels in its Embassies and Consulates around the world.
Meliton even expects Russian President Putin, who postponed
an official trip to Turkey earlier this month, to petition
the Turkish government for permission to open one or more of
their own churches under the very nose of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate (Note: Currently, Bartholomew permits Russian
priests to perform services in churches under his control,
but the Russians have long sought their own churches).

Comment
--------------

9. (sbu) Although these venerable religious institutions are
primarily engaged in providing spiritual services and
guidance to millions of devoted followers, much of their
institutional tension and international rivalries center on
more mundane issues, such as possession of churches and
control of territory. As recently as mid-August,
Metropolitan Meliton and Metropolitan Demetrios of America
traveled to Jerusalem in n ffot o rsolve a dispute over
control of soe arihe inCaifonia. The fact that the
Patriarchate spends considerable time on such issues is an
indication that t clearly sees its very survival as
depending ona successful defense of its canonical privileges
and moral authority in the Orthodox world.

10 (c) This rivalry may also have unfortunate implicaions
for the Patriarchate's continuing efforts t secure its
status here in Istanbul. Erol Muterimler, an influential
academic, suggested to us ecently that resistance among the
Turkish militay and bureaucracy to acknowledging the
Patriarch' ecumenical status nd eopening the Halki
seminry ay ste from desir to move closer to Russiaand
aoid an involement in what they see as a roxy rivalry
between Washington and Moscow. A psitive Turkish response
to a Putin request for Rusian churches to be opened in
Turkey (see para 7 might be an indication that such thinking
has sme currency in Ankara.

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