PATRIARCH KIRILL’S VISIT TO UKRAINE

By Tatiana Shvetsova

One of the most striking impressions of his pastoral life, by admission of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, was his recent 10 day visit to Ukraine.

“The visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill to Ukraine was more than just an event of great significance,” said Head of the Department for Foreign Church Relations, Archbishop of Volokolamsk Hilarion, who accompanied the Patriarch on this trip, at a press conference at Interfax news agency. “It was an event that testified to the beginning of a new stage in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church, and perhaps, the start of a new stage in relations between Russia and Ukraine, between the Russian and Ukrainian people, as well as relations between diverse groups of Orthodox believers in Ukraine.”

The visit of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to Ukraine was simultaneously a pastoral visit and a pilgrimage. It was timed to the remembrance day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Vladimir, the Baptizer of Rus.

In the ten days of the visit Patriarch Kirill traveled all across the country from the north to the south and from the east to the west. He visited 11 towns, where he paid homage to Holy Orthodox shrines and relics, conducted church services and interacted with his flock. This flock constitutes a majority among Christians of Ukraine and belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“Our Patriarch Kirill! Our Patriarch Kirill!” chanted Orthodox Christians of Ukraine as they welcomed the Patriarch all throughout his visit across the country.

The route started with a visit to the capital of Ukraine – Kiev. This wasn’t accidental, since Kiev is the cradle and the southernmost capital of Russian Orthodoxy. At one time this city was the capital of a powerful Old Russian state – Kiev Rus, that gave birth to the Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian peoples.

It was there, in Kiev, that over a thousand years ago Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint  Vladimir of Kiev christened his people in the waters of the river Dniepr.

Kiev was the birthplace of Orthodox Russian monkhood. In the 11th century one of the oldest Russian Monasteries – the Kiev-Pecherskyaya Lavra – was founded here. The Monastery cherishes numerous Orthodox sacred shrines, including the relics of many Saints.

It’s interesting that a day prior to the arrival of Patriarch Kirill to the Kiev-Pecherskaya Lavra the parishioners and clergy witnessed an unusual phenomenon – a great many pigeons flocked to the Monastery from all over the city, seating themselves along the eves. One Kiev seminarist remarked: “I have never seen such a great number of pigeons at the Monastery.” The believers decided it was a good omen.

On the day of remembrance of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Christener of Rus, the Patriarch served the Holy Liturgy at the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pecherskaya Lavra. Conducting the service alongside him were archpriests and priests from Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, Germany and several other foreign eparchies of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The square in front of the Cathedral where the service was conducted could barely accommodate all the believers wanting to pray together with the Patriarch. They numbered several thousand. There was a remarkable unanimity of spirit between those praying in the altar and the believers assembled in the square. It seemed as if the numerous believers were breathing as one.

Afterwards Patriarch Kirill addressed those gathered with a sermon, which contained the following words:

“The Church is called upon to be the place where people are taught love and unity. For where there is division there is no love. How terrifying and hypocritical it is when there occurs a split within the Church, allegedly for a higher ultimate purpose. A split, which is a manifestation of the worst there can be in the life of a Christian, — signifies absence of Love.”

In the words of Patriarch Kirill, the world, human civilization and generally any human society cannot develop other than in conformity with the law of Love. From Love there stem solidarity, support, harmony in the world.

Holy Prince Vladimir bequeathed to his descendants love and unity, reminded the Patriarch, summoning all believers to pray to the Holy Saint Vladimir, so that the latter endow the Orthodox people with strength to love all people, even their enemies.

Those assembled listened to Patriarch Kirill with bated breath. Many had tears in their eyes, since the orthodox believers in Ukraine, torn asunder by the religious split, relate to the subject of love and Christian unity particularly keenly.

Besides the most numerous Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, officially acknowledged in the world, there also exists there a less numerous but quite influential and supported by the official powers Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, which has not received official international acknowledgement. There is also an inconsiderable in number, less influential and similarly unacknowledged Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Narrow-minded politicians on the eve of presidential election in Ukraine scheduled for October 25th this year, are fuelling the split within the church for their own ulterior motives. To remedy this split is the main problem facing Orthodox Christians of Ukraine. The visit of Patriarch Kirill, a joint prayer with him instilled in their hearts hope that the torturous split in the church can be overcome through concerted efforts.

A particularly powerful impression was made on all by the many-thousand strong cross-bearing procession headed by Patriarch Kirill from Kiev-Pecherskaya Lavra to the distant caves of the Monastery. After that the Patriarch led a prayer at the top of a steep hill above the Dniepr River, at the foot of a monument to the Holy Christener of the Russian Land Prince Vladimir. Then, the Patriarch addressed his Ukrainian flock, saying:

“Kiev is our common Jerusalem. The source of the Orthodox Faith. So, quite naturally, the first thought that came to me upon my election to the post of Patriarch was the thought of visiting the sacred Kiev land, to pay homage to the Holy Saint Vladimir, to offer prayers to him, on behalf of our church and our people.

It is with a special reverence that I ascended Vladimir hill, to offer up a prayer to the Saint whose name I received during my christening and with whom I constantly maintain a spiritual link, daily praying to Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir for the preservation of God’s Holy Churches, for the strengthening of Orthodoxy on Russian land, for the preservation of unity within our holy Church.”

Taking part in the church service were dozens of thousands of believers from diverse regions of Ukraine. Some had to cover thousands of kilometers to see their Patriarch and pray together with him.

Here is a woman. She says she came to Kiev following the call of her heart. She couldn’t but come here. God’s will be done, there were no obstacles at work to hamper her coming here. Her bosses gave her two days leave for this.

And here is a man, who says “It is not every day the Patriarch comes to Ukraine. It is a big event… The Patriarch is the spiritual Father of our entire Church,” said the pilgrim.

Ukrainian mass media gave broad coverage of the Patriarch’s visit. Television gave live broadcasts of the services and sermons conducted by the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Surprisingly, the popularity rating of these broadcasts surpassed that of the most popular television shows.

Viewers were particularly drawn to a meeting with Patriarch Kirill organized by the television channel “INTER”. In it the Patriarch answered viewers’ questions on-air, and produced a tremendous impression on them. For example, acclaimed doctor of Ukraine Olga Bogomolets, before phrasing her question to the Patriarch, addressed him in the following words:

“You Holiness,” says Olga, “permit me to say you a few kind words before I ask my question… You have addressed the television audience presently watching your appearance on air, addressing both those who are with you in spirit and those who are not altogether with you in spirit or are spiritually aligned against you. With just one phrase you have possibly recruited a great many new adherents in Ukraine. You said that instead of seeking for heroes among those who try to split Ukraine, we need to seek out those honest leaders who unite us, to give our state a new fresh breath of life. Many Ukrainians today nurture hopes that our fertile land shall offer us a leader who will succeed in consolidating Ukraine, opening up a wonderful new future for it. And we shall then obliterate from our memory those politicians who sought to disunite us and pit us against one another in our own state.”

However, not all in Ukraine were overjoyed by the Patriarch’s visit. In Kiev, and then throughout the entire course of the Patriarch’s journey, a group of Ukrainian nationalists vociferously declared their protest against Patriarch Kirill’s visit to Ukraine. Among their slogans was one that read: “Moscow priest be gone from Ukraine!”

However, as the above-mentioned archpriest Hilarion said at the Interfax press conference:

“The protesting groups which assembled here and there were insignificant in number and sported the flag of one political party – the People’s Party of Ukraine. Moreover, we were under the impression we were running into the same group of people, brandishing the same banners, everywhere we went. At some venues they attempted to drown out the Patriarch’s sermons with their shouts, yet failed.

In number these protesting groups were quite paltry, so one can hardly speak of any serious opposition in this case. What we are dealing with are marginal and individual political groups which manifest a strong dislike towards Patriarch Kirill simply due to their inherent anti-Russian sentiments or because they are opposed to the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and support the church split.”

And still Orthodox Christians who rank themselves within the fold of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate did everything in their power to safeguard their Patriarch against possible provocations on the part of the nationalists. This is what the leader of the All Ukrainian public association “United Homeland”, Chairman of the Union of Orthodox citizens of Ukraine Valeri Kaurov said in an interview for Odessa television:

“The fact is on the eve of the Patriarch’s visit it became known to us – the broad Orthodox public – that certain provocations were being staged with the purpose of disrupting the visit. So we set up a special public Organizing committee to maintain security throughout the Patriarch’s trip. This committee comprised representatives of all existing Orthodox Ukrainian organizations, myself included.”

The organizing committee that Valeri Kaurov mentioned, operated excellently. Patriarch Kirill was ensured reliable security.

When they asked Valeri Kaurov about his strongest personal impressions from the Patriarch’s visit, he replied:

“Without a doubt the strongest impression was produced by the Patriarch’s sermons,” said Valeri Kaurov. “They break stereotypes, they uproot the image of the Russian Orthodox Church as the enemy that has long since been inculcated deliberately in Ukraine. A great many people realized that the church stood ABOVE politics. The Patriarch’s sermons touch upon so many of today’s topical issues, beginning with the economic crisis and missionary counter-offensive of the Church and ending with work with the younger generation.

This was the first time a visit of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine was so lengthy – ten days. His Holiness gave us an opportunity to pray together with him, and this was a great spiritual joy.

If we follow the route of the Patriarch’s visit closely on the map, we shall see that it forms a distinct cross. Thus, with his visit he as if blessed all of Ukraine.”

Despite the fact that the visit was primarily a pastoral and pilgrimage one, the Patriarch met in Kiev with Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko, for a two hour long tête-à-tête conversation.

As it became known later, the topic central to their conversation was overcoming the church split in Ukraine. The Patriarch stressed that although presently Russians and Ukrainians reside in different states, they should preserve their spiritual unity, bequeathed them by the Holy Prince Vladimir the Christener. Afterwards, the Patriarch said his conversation with the President was “frank and non-diplomatic”.

After their talk the Patriarch and the Ukrainian President paid homage to the memory of those who fell in the Great Patriotic war of 1941-1945 with Nazi Germany, as well as the victims of mass famine in Ukraine in the 1930s. Patriarch Kirill reminded that the famine of that period had affected not only Ukraine but also a number Russian regions too, and most of his own family — then residing in the Volga river area — had almost fallen victim to it. It was sheer miracle that saved them. The Patriarch said that the famine was a common tragedy shared by the Ukrainians and the Russians and should never be used to fuel a rift between the two peoples.

As we know, some unprincipled historians and politicians in Ukraine attempt to portray this shared tragedy of the two peoples as genocide, committed by Russians towards the Ukrainian people.

President Yushchenko underscored that the Ukrainian people were eager to live within a single local Church.

“There is a local church in Ukraine. If there were not, there would be no Ukraine today,” the Patriarch responded to this.

In the words of Patriarch Kirill, the local Orthodox Church has existed in Ukraine for a thousand years. It was established in the times when Ancient Rus was christened by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. The wounds existing on the body of this church should be treated by concerted effort. However, a cure will become possible only when an all-important truth becomes rooted in the minds of orthodox people: the truth that all christened orthodox people, irrespective of their political orientation, sympathies and antipathies, constitute the church flock.

“If we stop projecting our political preferences onto church life, we shall rid our discussion of that context that burdens our reflections regarding the future of Orthodoxy in Ukraine,” Patriarch Kirill stressed.

The Patriarch also met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko to discuss relations between the Church and the state. They also touched upon problems of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, the spiritual revival of the peoples of Russia and Ukraine, their return to their Christian values.

“I came here to pray together with the people, because I believe in the immense power of prayer,” the Patriarch said.

It’s interesting that for the first time in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, during the Patriarch’s visit, Kiev hosted a meeting of the Holy Synod. Besides purely church issues, in connection with the world financial crisis, also discussed was the highly relevant theme: “The Economy and Ethics”.

A momentous event of the Patriarch’s visit was his trip to the Crimea. In the entire history of the Russian Orthodox Church a patriarch had never conducted church services there.

Crimea is a very special place in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. Over a thousand years ago Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir was christened there. He was christened by the Byzantines in the old Greek town of Chersonese. Now the ruins of the town form part of the city of Sebastopol.

In his sermon at the end of the Holy Liturgy in Chersonese, Patriarch Kirill said that while standing at the site where Holy Prince Vladimir was christened, one’s thoughts invariably turn to that benchmark event.

“Grand prince Vladimir, upon entering the baptismal font right here, where we stand today, and then emerging from it, shook off his spiritual blindness and became a new person.

Emerging from the font, the Prince not with fire and sword, but with words of Truth and love began uniting the people. And he formed a great Homeland from sea to sea, which already then knew no equal in Europe. Prince Vladimir, wholeheartedly accepting the Christian faith and basic concepts of Christian culture, succeeded in embodying this precious gift in the life of his people. He laid down the foundation for a grand Christian eastern civilization, which we have the great joy of being part of. Unity and integrity of this civilization is particularly keenly perceived right here, on the land of the ancient Chersonese…

Prince Vladimir the Christener embraced Christ’s Truth, and dedicated his life to a struggle against heathenism.”

Christ’s Church has existed for two thousand years, and yet, in the words of Patriarch Kirill, the struggle against heathenism remains a burning issue.

“Still alive are the idols, and they obstruct the prospect of eternal life… Today people mold idols with their own hands…, small and large hand-made gods. This is a new philosophy of existence which addresses the stomach and the purse, instead of the mind of man. It is with human passions, their liberation and gratification, that the new philosophy of existence links the notion of fullness of life. The forces of man and society, and whole states are mobilized for the worshiping of these idols.

What happens when people worship the idols instead of the Lord? The idols unleash instincts and passions. And people living by the law of passion cannot live together in peace and harmony. They begin to exploit one another — materially, spiritually, and physically. They can even exploit their own instincts to obtain money or to seize power.

Let us pray that the Lord give our Orthodox people the strength to withstand the temptation of idolatry, to preserve spiritual unity which was bequeathed to us by Apostle Paul. Let us pray for the preservation of Orthodox faith, the seeds of which were sown by Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.”

Implied in the words “our Orthodox people”, pronounced by Patriarch Kirill, are all Orthodox Christians of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia, who originated from the common source – Kiev Rus. Now residing in different states, nonetheless, these peoples retain a common spiritual space, bearing the name of Holy Rus.

From the Crimea, as planned, the Patriarch intended to go to Western Ukraine. In part, this was linked with festivities timed for the 450th anniversary of the acquisition of the miracle-working Icon of the Holy Virgin of Pochaev – one of the most revered sacred things of Orthodoxy.

However, there came recommendations from President Yushchenko’s secretariat implying that it would be better if the Patriarch refrained from going to western Ukraine, since allegedly the authorities couldn’t guarantee his safety there. It is a known fact that dissenters and nationalists are particularly active in western Ukraine.

However, all those who know the Patriarch say he is not of feeble heart. Thus, Patriarch Kirill did not alter his plans and went to western Ukraine. There, in the town of Rovno, believed to be one of the strongholds of Ukrainian nationalists, he was anxiously awaited by 20,000 Orthodox Christians.

“This visit is vital for us… Like the air we breathe… like water. We need this support of our spiritual father,” said a Ukrainian clergyman.

“May God grant us such leaders in Ukraine,” said a woman, marveling at the high intellect, the oratorical skills and kindheartedness of Patriarch Kirill.

When Patriarch Kirill, albeit late, nonetheless arrived in Rovno, thousands of believers turned out to welcome him. There was a group of protesters there, too, which was very active in shouting out insults aimed at the Patriarch, and Russians and Russia in general. However, as it was mentioned in mass media, the group comprised no more than 50 people, who were drowned out by the thousands of Orthodox Christians faithful to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Not long before the arrival of Patriarch Kirill to Ukraine, an event occurred in Rovno district that the believers were quick to endow with a mystical significance. The head of the administration of the town of Rovno Vasiliy Chervony, one of the most rabid dissenters, a man who personally organized seizures of Orthodox churches, accompanied by beatings of clergymen and secular folk faithful to the Moscow Patriarchate, was struck down dead by a lightning bolt while out fishing. All those against the church split were quick to insist that it was the Lord’s way of meting out punishment to the dissenter. For example, an elderly orthodox village woman said:

“Believe me, this is the Lord’s penance. After all, even in the war against the fascists we didn’t see outrages, the likes of which these dissenters have been committing here.”

What this woman said is not regarded as mystification or fabrication in western Ukraine, for over recent time there have been a great many stories of how wooden crosses, erected by the dissenters, have been struck by lightning. A clergyman from the village Viotly in the Rovno district, Father Vyacheslav, formerly a dissenter, told a Russian TV correspondent as he pointed to a cross torn apart by thunder:

“I gathered up these splinters some 20-30 steps away from the cross. The cross was split apart by a lightning bolt. As the lightning split this cross in our village, so Patriarch Filaret in cahoots with satan split our Church and our people,” said Father Vyacheslav.

Let us remind you that Patriarch Filaret Denisenko, mentioned by Father Vyacheslav, is the head of the unacknowledged in the Orthodox world Ukrainian Orthodox church of the Kiev Patriarchate.

As for Father Vyacheslav, after the incident with the cross the village Orthodox community led by him decided to return within the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

This case is not a solitary one. A great many dissenters, after similar signs of the Heavens, saw the light and, having acknowledged their sins, repented and returned to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The final stop on the Patriarch’s journey across Ukraine was the Assumption of the Virgin of the Pochayev Monastery – a powerful stronghold of Orthodoxy in western Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill was invited there for the celebrations of the 450th anniversary of the acquisition of the miracle-working Icon of the Virgin of Pochayev. Fifty thousand pilgrims arrived in the town of Pochayev to take part in the solemn festivities and to pray together with Patriarch Kirill. For dozens of kilometers around all the hotels were occupied.

In Pochayev the Patriarch spoke of the importance of the Church unity:

“The unity of the Church of Christ needs to be restored. The unity without which there can be no salvation for the people. And so, people’s ambitions, political projects and suchlike, which today are splitting the church, need to be set aside. For no single human project can bring about happiness and wellbeing if, to achieve this end, one splits the people, splits the Church, splits Heaven and earth.

“May God preserve Ukraine, grant it peace, flourishing and prosperity, renew the faith of its people, salvage that which has been split and torn asunder, preserve the unity of the Church and grant the Lord’s blessing in return for our pure Faith and strong Hope,” Patriarch Kirill said, addressing the believers.

Again and again the Patriarch spoke of the danger of a life without God. This danger threatens western Christians, too, he said, and addressed them:

“I would like to address our brethren — Christians in Europe and say to them: we have gone through the terrifying experience of building a world and society without God. Do not repeat this fearful mistake of ours. We had to pay in blood and dreadful torments for the understanding that one cannot live without God.

And when today people in Europe reject their Christian roots, forsake Christian values and relegate religious life to the realm of private life, they are making a dreadful mistake. One cannot build a happy and flourishing society on money, science, technology and administrative abilities alone.”

Speaking about the results of Patriarch Kirill’s visit to Ukraine, head of the Department of external relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Archbishop of Volokolamsk Hilarion stressed:

“The visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill demonstrated quite convincingly that Holy Rus still exists. This is not some historical myth, not a concept from the political jargon. This is a word from the spiritual vocabulary.

We respect the sovereignty of all the independent states that emerged on the former territory of historical Rus. This is something the Patriarch has continuously repeated. Yet, existing political borders cannot destroy the spiritual unity that is a firm bond between Orthodox peoples of historical Rus – Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, and all those living on the territory of the former historical Rus who profess the Orthodox faith. And the visit of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to Ukraine was still further tangible proof of this. At the same time, it served the purpose of strengthening the spiritual links between fraternal peoples, born in the same baptismal font of Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.”