UKRAINE'S MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE EMPHASIZES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KYIV 000039

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE EMPHASIZES
INDEPENDENT STANCE

Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly.

Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) The head of external relations for the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) emphasized its
apolitical stance in a meeting with Emboff. He acknowledged
that the church's pro-Yanukovych position in the 2004
presidential elections was a mistake and emphasized its
independence as a Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox
Church (ROC). He credited Metropolitan Volodymyr with
holding together Ukraine's Orthodox community, which was at
risk of fracturing because of President Yushchenko's efforts
to get official recognition for churches considered
schismatic by the UOC-MP. He did not rule out the
possibility that Volodymyr could become the next patriarch of
the ROC but hinted that he was not the most likely candidate.
End Summary.

Support for Yanukovych in 2004 a Mistake
--------------


2. (SBU) Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, Chief of the UOC-MP's
External Relations Department, emphasized that the church
took an apolitical stance in recent years following its open
support for Viktor Yanukovych in the 2004 presidential
elections. He acknowledged that the church's support for
Yanukovych had been a mistake. To highlight his point, he
noted that the church has stayed out of politics since 2004.
He also mentioned that the church publicly condemned
unofficial Orthodox groups in 2007, which had made
unauthorized pro-Russian statements in the name of the
church.

ROC Should Respect Ukraine
--------------


3. (SBU) Hovorun emphasized that the UOC-MP had been
asserting its independence as a Ukrainian branch of the
Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). He noted that ROC leaders had
expressed displeasure about the UOC-MP Synod's resolution on
December 20, 2008 to support UOC-MP Metropolitan Volodymyr's
candidacy for the Patriarch of the ROC. Although the synod's
statement was not an official nomination, but rather a
statement of support should Volodymyr choose to accept, it
was signal of independence by the UOC-MP. Hovorun concluded
that church leadership in Moscow will have to learn to accept
and respect Ukraine's independence.

Volodymyr still Needed in Ukraine
--------------


4. (SBU) Hovorun mentioned that Volodymyr has not accepted
the synod's offer of support to become Patriarch of the ROC
and added that he was still needed in Ukraine. He hinted
that Volodymyr was not the most likely candidate to fill the
position left vacant after Alekisy's death. However, Hovorun
did not rule out the possibility that Volodymyr could become
the next Patriarch of the ROC

Volodymyr Prevents Split
--------------


5. (SBU) Hovorun said that President Yushchenko's
involvement in the celebrations marking the 1020th
anniversary of the Christianization of the Kyiv Rus in July
2008 almost caused a split in the UOC-MP. Yushchenko, who
has long sought to establish a unified Ukraine Orthodox
church independent of Moscow's influence, invited the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I without
conferring with the UOC-MP. The ROC reacted negatively to
Bartholomew's invitation but Russian Patriarch Aleksiy
eventually agreed to attend the ceremonies in Kyiv. Hovorun
felt that Yushchenko should have consulted the church before
inviting Bartholomew.


6. (SBU) Hovorun believes that Yushchenko wanted Bartholomew
to officially recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv
Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and Ukrainian Autocephalous Church
(UAC). Bartholomew's recognition of the UOC-KP and UAC,
considered to be schismatic by the UOC-MP, has been strongly
opposed by UOC-MP and ROC leadership. Hovorun said that if
Bartholomew were to recognize the "schismatic" churches,
UOC-MP communities in western Ukraine would likely break
from the UOC-MP while its communities in the east would seek
closer ties to the ROC.


7. (SBU) Hovorun said that Volodymyr negotiated with
Bartholomew, Patriarch Aleksiy of the ROC, and the leaders of

KYIV 00000039 002 OF 002


the UOC-KP and UAC in the lead-up to the July celebrations to
avoid a split. When the celebrations were held, both
Bartholomew and Aleksiy made general statements calling for
unity and understanding within Ukraine's Orthodox community
while UOC-KP and UAC leaders kept a low profile. If
Bartholomew had recognized the UOC-KP and UAC, this would
have weakened the UOC-MP's unifying influence and exacerbated
divisions between eastern and western Ukraine asserted
Hovorun. He added that Volodymyr had sought to improve
relations with the UOC-KP and UAC by establishing a dialogue
with the churches since the July events.

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


8. (SBU) Recent events seem to confirm Hovorun's assertion
that the UOC-MP is willing to express views not well received
in Moscow. For example, in November it released a statement
referring to the Holodomor as genocide. We also noted that
Metropolitan Volodymyr played a prominent role in the
official commemoration of the Holodomor in November.
Although Hovorun did not rule out the possibility that
Volodymyr could become patriarch of the ROC, his advanced
years and frailty make this unlikely.
TAYLOR