DISINFO: Geopolitics was the driver behind Ukrainian Church Autocephaly
SUMMARY
The recent visit by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Ukraine during the commemoration for the 30 years since the country's declaration of independence showed that his decision to grant autocephaly to the so-called Ukrainian Church simply split Orthodox people and it was driven by Western geopolitical calculations. It should be noted that Ukrainian President Zelensky did not attend the Mass with Patriarch Bartholomew - probably a sign that he is trying to keep some distance from what his predecessor Petro Porosenko did.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about autocephaly and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets frequently attack the establishment of an autocephalous Ukrainian church.
Autocephaly was granted to the Ukrainian church by the Constantinople patriarchy. The final decision was made in January 2019, when all members of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate signed off the Tomos of autocephaly. The signing of the Tomos happened after months of careful preparations and consideration by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod. In October 2018, the Holy Synod decided to revoke the letter of 1686 by which it gave the right to the Moscow patriarchy "to consecrate the ecclesiastical subordinates of Constantinople in Kyiv Metropolitanate, interpreted by the Russian Church as its transfer to Moscow."
It was the Russian Orthodox church which decided to break communication with Constantinople after the latter announced that it would “proceed to the granting of autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine”.
Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not want to send any political message in connection with the Mass where the Ecumenical Patriarch was present. Zelensky met Bartholomew in a separate meeting and he thanked him warmly for his visit on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
For similar cases concerning the autocephaly of Ukrainian Orthodox Church, see here.