The “Sofia Brotherhood” accused the administrator of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of being “pro-Moscow”

The public organization “Sofia Brotherhood,” which consists of individual clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and representatives of the OCU, published a statement criticizing the administrator of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich). The reason for the criticism was the recent statements of the hierarch regarding organizations and individuals who, according to the bishop, are engaged in “appeasing” the OCU. The “Sophia Brotherhood” took Metropolitan Anthony’s statements personally, accusing the bishop of “pro-Moscow orientation” and “bringing the UOC to a critical state.” The statement was published on the organization’s official website.

«It was the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that brought it to its current critical state. Metropolitan Anthony is outraged by the contacts of the clergy of the UOC with other Orthodox structures in Ukraine, but this did not prevent him from visiting the aggressor country after 2014, and after 2022 — from refraining from any public condemnation of the occupiers,» — the organization said.

The St. Sophia Brotherhood also stated that Metropolitan Anthony remains one of the few hierarchs of the UOC whose diocese has not replaced the antimensions bearing the name of Patriarch Kirill. In addition, according to the brotherhood, the bishop is the leader of the “pro-Moscow wing” in the UOC, sabotaging decisions that, in their opinion, could save the Church from being banned.

«The Boryspil diocese, headed by the indignant metropolitan, is one of the few in the UOC (except for the occupied territories) where churches and monasteries use antimensions bearing the name of Patriarch Kirill. During his years as administrator of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony has probably done more than any other bishop to ensure that the UOC is permanently branded as the “Moscow” Church. Today, it is no secret that he effectively heads a group of metropolitans with a clear pro-Moscow orientation. Whether he has the moral right to lecture, let alone criticize, the believers of the UOC – members of the Sophia Brotherhood – is an open question. Today, Bishop Anthony responds to threats against the Church only with appeals such as: “Bravely accept everything that the Lord sends, and do not cross the last line, so as not to find yourself completely outside the canonical field” (sermon of July 20, published on the Internet). “Not to find oneself outside the canonical field” obviously means not to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church once and for all. Such a “wise” policy of the second most influential hierarch of the UOC leads to the Church being molded into the image of a ‘Moscow’ Church, and when everything collapses, the remaining believers are called upon to “bravely accept everything.” However, there are serious doubts that this is “God’s will” — when they themselves have brought the Church to crisis, it is at least inappropriate to hide behind the name of God,» — the statement concluded.

Earlier, the administrator of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), criticized the clergy and believers of the UOC who maintain relations with the open persecutors of Christ’s Church. The bishop called this phenomenon “false peacemaking,” noting that while such supporters of compromise are trying to play along with those who persecute the Church, believers and clergy are being beaten throughout the country, and churches and monasteries of the UOC are being seized.