Is this event historic? Here's a great analogy. Yesterday, during an interview with a war hero, we crossed paths with a New York Times crew. Frenchwoman Letizia is in Ukraine for the second time. She is writing an article about a historic event – the cleansing of our spiritual center from Moscow. She asks me to briefly explain what is wrong with the Moscow priests. She had just come from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and it seemed to her that something was wrong there. She described the history of collaboration and covering up for Russian terrorists over the past 9 years.
Letizia draws an interesting conclusion: “Oh, it's like if the Germans had captured Notre Dame de Paris during World War II and told us that France didn't exist.”
On March 29, 2023, the period of 337 years of occupation of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra ended. This is important because the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) is nothing more than a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. And whatever disguised steps Onufriy, Luka, Pavlo Lebed (aka ‘Mercedes’) and fans of naked boys in the cells may take are all nonsense. The FSB has dug in on the Pechersk Hills in the heart of Ukraine. And it's scary to think what it would do if Russia were able to implement its plan to occupy Ukraine. On whose side would the 'priests' be, who openly declare and still publicly state that there is no Russian army in Donbas. They say it was the local people who rose up. And the Maidan is generally to blame. A man in cassocks says this after more than a year of full-scale war with Russia. After Mariupol, Marinka, Popasna, Soledar, and Bakhmut were destroyed to the ground.
Another priest openly gave himself away in front of journalists during the demonstrative 'service.' He revealed his true gut when he said that Kirill is our patriarch. And the icing on the cake is this dialog:
- He is an enemy, he calls for killing Ukrainians.
- He is not an enemy.
And the crown of true Muscovite spirituality was Pavlo Lebid best known as Pasha Mercedes. He recorded a video message to his flock, in which he threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with heavenly punishment for expelling the UOC-MP from the Lavra. He arrogantly stated that he would not leave Ukraine until he “buried everyone.”
In fact, all talk of a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church ended on February 24, 2022, when we saw very clearly how the priests of the Moscow Church compiled lists of soldiers, acted as enemy fire adjusters, and deliberately surrendered journalists. And later, when they found themselves under occupation, they became part of the repressive machine. They sprinkled holy water on the Russian Guard and the Kadyrov soldiers.
So Pasha Mercedes and his brothers in cassocks very clearly stated that the law is not their decree. That they will not leave the Lavra. And that they are suing to terminate the lease. And as long as the Economic Court is considering this lawsuit for a long time, they will remain in the Lavra like black mold.
What do these preachers of the Kremlin's policy in Ukraine want? First of all, they want the status of martyrs and a persecuted church. It is not for nothing that Pavlo said that “one does not come down from the cross, but is taken down from the cross.” These new Pharisees are eager to pass themselves off as a church in the catacombs, hunted by fierce atheists. Pasha Mercedes and Onufriy would be very happy if the SBU's notional 'Alpha' carried them out by the legs and packed them into police cars. This would greatly help the branch of the Russian Orthodox Church to gain a certain legitimacy, to move its not-so-wise parishioners. It would also provide new fodder for the shameful UN reports. The same spineless organization that sees no signs of genocide against Ukrainians despite regular bombings and calls from Russian officials to assimilate more Ukrainians into typical invaders. But for some reason, on the day of the eviction of the devils in robes, the UN office issued a report on “discrimination and harassment” of the UOC MP.
Therefore, the assumption of NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov that the priests and monks of the Moscow church will slowly leave on their own is logical. But here we must understand that the matter will not be limited to the Lavra alone. There is also the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra, another center of the Russian world, which was once wrested from the hands of Greek Catholics. There are numerous parishes that have an impact on those who are weak in spirit and mind. And then there are such comrades as Vadym Novynskyi, who, according to my information, personally asked the Presidential Administration for a friendly church until last September. He said: “Don't touch it, it will be useful in the elections.”
But at the beginning of the year, the results of a new sociological survey on believers were made public - and the supporters of the UOC MP are now only 2%. This is a clear electoral language that Volodymyr Zelenskyy understands well. Therefore, the searches of outright traitors and pedophiles became public. Instead, the President's Office saw how much interest and support society has for the expulsion of Pharisees from modern churches, and so they will place bets on this topic.
And the question immediately arises: what to do with the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine next? First and foremost, this malevolent sect, which has seized the best historical churches in every city by cunning and trickery, must be officially banned. We have a good case study of how the ban of the Communist Party of Ukraine had a positive impact on the political field. And this party had much more supporters, funds, and influence, which resulted in the deliberate promotion of the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbas, than the Russian Orthodox Church does now.
Next, several bills to ban the malignant sect have been gathering dust in the Verkhovna Rada for at least six months. One of the serious ones is the government's, and the other is draft law 8221, which was co-authored by dozens of MPs.
Why should the decision to eradicate the Moscow church be passed through the parliament? First of all, so that it cannot be overturned by any court. To prevent Pasha Mercedes and his comrades from appealing this decision in European courts and using the help of the leftists with Russian money from the UN.
We should also note that the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on pro-Russian structures remains titanic. Novinsky, Shufrych, half of the Party of Regions and the star troopers of the Opposition Platform - For Life party - all these people baptized their children and married Luka, Onufriy, Pavel and Antony Pakanich. All these political ghouls used their friendly ties with the ROC for the sake of elections and political campaigning. The influence of Pasha Mercedes with his curses on the minds of corrupt officials from the court is simply titanic.
It is worth recalling the recording from the office of judge Vovk of Kyiv District Administrative Court, after the infamous decision when the UOC MP was allowed not to label itself as a Russian sect. What did he want instead? A medal from Onufriy and his personal blessing.
That is why Mr. Mercedes decided to scare the ‘weak-spirited’ government officials, Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family personally.
But I'm sorry – we don't live in the deep Middle Ages, when an anathema from the Pope could really ruin a career or private life.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a unique chance not only to wear the crown of the winner of the war with Russia. But also to be inscribed in history as a person who freed the whole of Ukraine from spiritual slavery. The decision is his. And this will definitely add to the electoral bonuses that are so carefully calculated on Bankova Street.
Photo: Getty Images
Author: Maryna Danyliuk-Yermolaieva, journalist, TV presenter.