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Andriivska Church and the Orthodox rift
Summary
A look back at how a parliamentary vote in Kyiv fed into a widening split between Moscow and Constantinople in October 2018.
What did Ukraine's parliament decide on the eve of 19 October 2018, and why did it matter beyond Kyiv? On 18 October, the Verkhovna Rada voted to transfer St Andrew's Church (Andriivska Church) to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The decision came three days after the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it would break communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Moscow's stated reason was plans by Eastern Orthodox Church officials to recognise the autocephaly of two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. It said it hoped Constantinople would change its mind and so avoid a schism.
Taken together, the two moves show the dispute operating on two levels. One was ecclesiastical: communion between two Orthodox centres. The other was political: a Ukrainian state body acting in favour of Constantinople while Moscow warned of a split. The announcement of 15 October was described at the time as an important new aspect of the rift between Russia and Ukraine.
The Rada's vote placed a prominent church property in the hands of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the body whose planned recognition of Ukrainian autocephaly had prompted Moscow's response. Moscow's position, as announced, was that the break could still be avoided if Constantinople reversed course.
