Publicist: "The UOC has only two options — join the OCU or become a sect"

Political analyst and publicist Vitaliy Portnikov, speaking at the invitation of the “Club of Experts,” stated that the presence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Ukraine poses a threat to national independence and identity. In his opinion, the UOC is one of the key tools for spreading “Moscow’s authority and forming a Russian identity among the Ukrainian population.” His speech was published on the website “Tvoe Misto.”

“If there is a Moscow Church — there will be Moscow power. The Russian Church has always been one of the main factors in creating a Moscow-centered identity — even more so than the Russian language,” Portnikov said. He claimed that many people remain in the UOC out of habit, not realizing that salvation in Orthodoxy is only possible in unity with global Orthodoxy.

According to him, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has a legitimate connection with the global Orthodox world through the tomos granted by Constantinople. In contrast, the UOC, which Portnikov claims remains under Moscow’s jurisdiction, has no other path to salvation except through the Russian Orthodox Church. “Their choice is either unification with the OCU or becoming a sect,” Portnikov said.

“I can clearly explain what happens to a nation’s identity when the Russian Church fully wins. Just look at the Belarusians. They were Greek Catholics. When the territory of the Grand Duchy was united with Moscow, they eradicated Greek Catholicism in the Ukrainian lands they took. They tried to do the same in Galicia, but it was already too late there. But they succeeded in turning Belarusians into Orthodox Christians. Some people turned to Catholicism — leading to a Polish identity. Others became Orthodox — and the Russian Orthodox Church became a tool of Russification,” Portnikov stated.

In conclusion, he said that it is allegedly necessary to work with the UOC hierarchy to gradually bring believers into unity with world Orthodoxy: “Perhaps some of them truly believe in God and understand that salvation is possible through unity — via Constantinople. I believe such people exist.”

Earlier, we reported that Vitaliy Portnikov believes pro-Russian sentiments are allegedly widespread among UOC clergy. In his speech, he suggested that representatives of the UOC expect Ukraine to lose and view Putin as the future determining factor in the Church’s policy on Ukrainian territory.