Autocephaly as a Mirror of Church Unity: Metropolitan Anthony analyzed the biblical images of Babylon and Pentecost

The hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary, has published an authored article in which he offers a profound theological perspective on the concept of autocephaly, comparing it to two key biblical events: the destruction of the Tower of Babel and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In the publication, the bishop warns that when autocephaly turns from a canonical instrument into a political or nationalistic project, it inevitably leads to spiritual chaos and division, like Babel, while the true unity of the Church is achieved through the grace of the Holy Spirit, as it happened at Pentecost. The material is published on the UOJ website.

Metropolitan Anthony sees the beginning of the analysis in the Babylonian confusion of tongues: people in Babylon sought to «build themselves a city and a tower up to heaven,» which symbolizes pride and an attempt to create a system independent of God. St. John Chrysostom, quoted by the Archbishop, noted that «Pride breeds discord, and whoever wants to act according to his own reason is inevitably scattered.» Similarly, in the history of the Orthodox Church, the desire for autocephaly, if it overemphasizes national or political interests, can lead to division. «Where autocephaly turns from a spiritual canonical instrument into a political or nationalistic project, a spiritual chaos similar to the situation in Babylon arises,» Metropolitan Anthony emphasizes.

He points out that after the Flood mankind was divided because of pride, and in the Church a similar division arises when autocephaly becomes an occasion for conflicts on national, political or linguistic grounds, rather than serving the unity of the faith. St. Theophanes the Hermit warned, «When the Church becomes hostage to earthly passions, she loses grace and ceases to be the body of Christ.» This principle, according to the Metropolitan, was especially evident in Ukraine in the twentieth century, when autocephalous movements were often supported by state or occupation forces to spiritually and politically divide the people. Any political or nationalistic basis for autocephaly that puts earthly interests above God’s will leads to spiritual confusion. The Holy Martyr Cyprian of Carthage wrote: «The one Church is spread throughout the world, but retains unity at its source. Whoever seeks to divide her according to flesh or earth loses salvation.»

In contrast to the Babylonian confusion, Metropolitan Anthony suggests that we consider the event of Pentecost. On this day, the 50th day after Christ’s Resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and they began to speak in different languages, uniting people of different nations in understanding the Gospel. Pentecost, therefore, is a symbol of church unity, when the Holy Spirit overcomes the barriers of languages, cultures, and nations, creating one Church of Christ. The pursuit of ecclesial unity in the Orthodox context reflects the spirit of Pentecost, when the Church seeks to preserve the unity of faith, Eucharistic communion and love among the Local Churches, regardless of their administrative structure.

The work of the Holy Spirit did not end with the apostolic age, the bishop reminds us, for the Lord promised to be with His disciples «all days to the end of the age» (Matthew 28:20). The Ecumenical Councils, which jointly resolved dogmatic and canonical issues, are an example of «Pentecostal» unity. St. Basil the Great explained, «The Holy Spirit not only gives the tongue, but also the heart that unites all in the one body of Christ. Where the Spirit is present, there is no division.»

Metropolitan Anthony emphasizes that the Apostles were given the gift of speaking «other tongues» at Pentecost not for division, but for unification in the common faith. On the contrary, division on the grounds of autocephaly or nationalism is an «earthly tower of Babel,» where people seek to exalt themselves in their own strength without concern for unity in Christ. «When autocephaly is used as a political or nationalistic tool, it distances the Church from its spiritual goal of saving souls and spreading the Gospel,» warns the UOC’s administrator of affairs. True independence and strength, he says, come only through the Holy Spirit, not through human projects or state borders.

In conclusion, the hierarch argues that autocephaly is neither good nor evil in itself. Its value is determined by whether it serves the unity of the Church, as at Pentecost, or, on the contrary, leads to division, as in Babylon. The task of the faithful is to hold fast to unity in Christ, to seek the grace of the Holy Spirit, not national or political «autocephalous» divisions.

Earlier Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary appealed to the faithful to spend September 29 and 30 in strict fasting and intense prayer. This spiritual preparation is connected with the upcoming trial, which, according to the hierarch, was initiated to ban the activities of the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the UOC.