Independent Church Of Ukraine Crumbles Even FurtherSouth Front

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The ‘independent’ (spoiler: not very) Orthodox Church of Ukraine, created in December 2019 with the direct assistance from then President Petro Poroshenko, the US State Department and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is passing through hard times. This pseudo-church organization has faced multiple difficulties since its very creation due to its nature. As an entity created to gain revenue and provide political interests of its backers, it’s engaged in the never-ending struggle for power and funding.

In fact, it’s publicly crumbling. First, the organization entered into the conflict with one of its creators Patriarch Filaret (Mykhailo Denysenko) that withdrew from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine with all the properties of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate, which it leads. Thus, the ‘indpendent’ church split into two parts. Patriarch Filaret is in the deep conflict with the current formal head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine – Patriarch Epiphanius.

However, this did not stop members of the Constantinople-backed entities to continue clashing with each others. On July 9, the entity excluded from its ranks Bishop Filaret Panku due to his supposed contacts with Patriarch Filaret. According to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine press service, Bishop Filaret Panku declared his allegiance to Patriarch Filaret damaging the interests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. They also claimed that the entities led by Bishop Filaret Panku has never officially represented the so-called Ukrainain diaspora.

This is only one of the recent cases showing the fierce conflict within the ‘independent’ cuhrch of Ukraine. The core of this conflict is attempts of various persons and entities to establsih control over as much church properties as possible.

Meanwhile, the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) continues facing an increasing pressure from the government and radicals affilated with forces that insigated creation of the independent pseudo-church in the country. Despite this, the canonic church continues remaining a major center of power in Ukraine and has even started increasing its influence amid the developing conflicts within the ‘independent church’ supported by the Kiev regime.