Religious scholar explains why the recognition process of OCU stalls

Serhiy Shumylo. Photo: facebook.com/shumylo

Serhiy Shumylo, the director of the International Institute of Athonite Heritage, explained in an interview with Radio Svoboda why the process of recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) by other Local Churches has essentially come to a halt. According to him, the main issue lies in the ongoing division within Ukrainian Orthodoxy. The scholar believes that if Ukrainian Orthodox communities could unite into a single local church, this process might accelerate.

Shumylo noted that the ecclesiastical environment is traditionally very conservative and amorphous, with decisions being made slowly. “Many churches are watching how events unfold in Ukraine – not only on the frontlines but also in the relationship between the two Orthodox Churches in Ukraine,” he explained. He emphasized the importance of avoiding the politicization of this process and preventing a forceful resolution of the conflict, which would contradict Gospel principles.

The religious scholar also pointed to the influence of Moscow, which seeks to hinder the recognition of the OCU. However, he highlighted that the Romanian Orthodox Church currently maintains an independent stance, opting to wait and observe. At the same time, in Shumylo’s view, the Romanian Church might set a condition for recognizing the OCU in exchange for establishing its own jurisdiction over Romanian-speaking parishes in Ukraine, particularly in the Chernivtsi region, where there are already over 100 such parishes.

“The ecclesiastical environment has always been conservative, and the older generation especially is not always ready to accept innovations. That’s why they are waiting and observing how the situation in Ukraine develops,” the expert added.

As reported by the UOJ, consultations among Local Churches regarding the situation in Ukraine have already begun.

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