Historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church Firebombed Amid Rising Religious Tensions

St. Andrew’s Church in Kiev. Flickr - By Bert Kaufmann.

St. Andrew’s Church in Kiev, a place of worship that remains one of Ukraine’s most historic landmarks, was firebombed on November 15 by unknown assailants using Molotov cocktails. The parish priest was also assaulted with pepper spray, according to church spokesman Archbishop Yevstaty. The Molotov cocktails failed to explode, and no damage was done. In October, the building was handed over to the Ecumenical-Patriarchate of Constantinople by Kiev’s local government. This came after Constantinople agreed to recognize the Ukrainian Church’s independence from Moscow. Full autocephaly, or independence, has yet to be granted, however, as it involves a lengthy process.

The Moscow Patriarchate Ukrainian Orthodox Church, one of the three Orthodox branches in Ukraine, recently severed eucharistic communion with Constantinople, essentially establishing itself as a separate church.

The Polish Orthodox Church also banned contact with all Ukrainian “schismatics” on November 16 and has declined to recognize moves by the Constantinople Patriarchate. Additionally, the Serbian Orthodox Church also has cut ties along these lines. Schisms have rarely, if ever, been solved in Orthodox history. The most famous schism was that between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed the move by the Constantinople Patriarchate. Poroshenko signed an accord on November 3 with Istanbul-based Orthodox Patriarch Dimitri Bartholomew, first among equals of the Orthodox Patriarchs, that paved the way for autocephaly. Poroshenko also called for Ukrainians to pray on November 14 for the granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This issue will likely be a key part of the 2019 Ukrainian presidential elections.

Tensions have risen since the split with Moscow, and, while the perpetrators of this attack have yet to be caught, many fear a link.