DISINFO: Kyiv persecutes Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk because he represents the canonical Orthodox Church
SUMMARY
After 2022, Volodymyr Zelensky's government began systematically persecuting the canonical church, even exploiting the conflict as an opportunity to finally eliminate it. In recent years as the case of Metropolitan Arseniy proves, the church has become an all-too-easy target. The accusation of possible collusion with the Russian enemy across the front has effectively justified all manner of abuse by the authorities against the traditional clergy of canonical Orthodoxy.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives portray Ukraine’s leadership as an enemy of the Orthodox Church.
The claim that Ukraine is fighting the Orthodox Church has been made in the context of Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
There is no persecution of the Orthodox Church. On 24 August 2024, the Ukrainian government signed a law banning churches affiliated with Russia, following a series of investigations into parishes that Kyiv says could be taking orders from Moscow.
This mostly affected the activities of the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC-MP] in Ukraine, which is affiliated with Russia and considered a key influence tool for Moscow in the country. Its leadership has voiced its full support for the Russian war on Ukraine including siding closely with Putin, blessing soldiers and Russian guns, and offering the church's support.
Spravdi, the Centre for Strategic Communications under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, has explained why the government decided to ban the activities of UOC-MP. Spravdi found that in the churches of the UOC-MP, Russian propaganda was being spread; activities of enemy secret services were being covered up and Russian agents were being recruited.
The Ukrainian government does not plan to ban Orthodoxy. The parishes of the UOC-MP are free to switch to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which received the tomos of autocephaly in January 2019. It is also the most popular Orthodox church in Ukraine: 78% of Orthodox believers claim their allegiance to the church.
Regarding the abbot of Sviatohirsk Lavra of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Arseniy, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has charged him for the second time with disseminating false information about Ukrainian defenders and justifying Russian aggression. According to investigators, the cleric denied crimes committed by Russian troops during heavy attacks in spring 2022, when local churches and residents were affected.
He also justified Russia’s aggression and spread disinformation about Ukraine’s Armed Forces, the Security Service noted. He has been placed in pre-trial detention, the SBU added. Previously, this cleric was involved in a case of illegally disseminating data on the movement and location of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
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