www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Patriarch Kirill open to becoming a Ukrainian citizen?

Russian patriarch warms to Western-leaning Ukraine


By MARIA DANILOVA
Associated Press
2009-08-05 07:29 PM


The head of the Russian Orthodox Church said he could become a Ukrainian citizen and spend more time here as part of an effort to maintain religious influence over this Western-leaning former Soviet neighbor, his office said Wednesday.
"I would be ready to take Ukrainian citizenship, sure. I have no problems with that," Patriarch Kirill said during a recent meeting with Ukrainian church leaders, in remarks released by his office.

The statement comes as Kirill concludes a marathon 10-day visit to Ukraine. The visit is seen as aimed at reasserting Moscow's dominance over this strategic Orthodox country of 46 million and hampering Kiev's efforts to win recognition of a local Orthodox Church that would be independent from Moscow.

Kirill, 62, took over the Russian Orthodox Church earlier this year and is considered to be a cautious reformer, compared to his predecessor Alexy II.

Although last week Kirill firmly rejected calls to recognize the legitimacy of an independent Ukrainian church, he struck a more conciliatory tone Wednesday, conceding that the Moscow Patriarchate was also to blame for the split in Ukrainian Orthodox. He said the Moscow Patriarchate failed to accommodate the needs of an independent Ukrainian nation after the 1991 Soviet collapse.

A breakaway church, called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate, was set up in the 1990s. It is still smaller than the dominant Moscow-aligned church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate, but polls show it is gaining popularity.

Pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko has been lobbying the spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, to recognize that group as a legitimate church. So far the efforts have been unsuccessful.

Kirill vowed to decorate his throne hall in Moscow with a Ukrainian flag and said he favored the idea of spending half a year in Russia and half a year in Ukraine, provided he was in good health.

"This is a very good idea," Kirill said. "The patriarch just needs a bit more health and energy."

During his trip to Ukraine, Kirill toured monasteries and holy sites in the pro-Russian east and south as well as the nationalist West, where the breakaway church is most influential. He was greeted by thousands of believers, but has also seen angry protests by members of the Kiev Patriarchate and nationalist groups who opposed his visit. He had to cancel a trip to the western Rivne region due to anticipated protests there.

I don't think Patriarch Kirill is thinking of taking citizenship in every country where the MP holds sway... all that he's mentioned is Ukrainian citizenship, since he sees Kiev as one of the two capitals of Rus.