Part of the “Thoughts Aloud” mini-series created jointly by the “Sofia Brotherhood” and the German foundation Renovabis, within the project “Contemporary Ukrainian Orthodoxy: Breaking Myths for Reconciliation and Societal Consolidation.” Statements do not necessarily represent the official view of the Sofia Brotherhood.
Archpriest Oleksandr Fedchuk, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the Volyn Theological Seminary of the UOC, PhD in Theology and History – Lutsk
“For me, a Church that reads not only the Gospel, but also the news.” Encountering the topic, I began to gather arguments, but quickly realized: a Church that reads the Gospel alone already suffices for me. The issue, however, is that this statement is often a veneer for a Church guided not by the Gospel but by doctrines and canons—those same doctrines and canons which, in my conviction, are insufficient for the Church to fully fulfill the mission Christ entrusted to it.
Doctrines and canons are often upheld as measures of permanence, forming the core of Church identity. Throughout history, Christians have suffered and caused suffering in their name. They allowed no compromise on these, persecuting and being persecuted, beating and being beaten, despising and being despised. No one is deemed a brother in Christ if their faith is “not quite right.”
Yet, no one has ever faced religious persecution for lacking love or mercy—though these are central teachings of the Gospel itself.
I firmly believe that the Gospel alone is sufficient for the Church to carry out its salvific mission in today’s world. The issue lies elsewhere: in the collective consciousness of the Church, doctrines and canons—though absent in the Gospel—are granted higher status than the moral commands Christ explicitly taught. The very essence of these moral commands is love for others, culminating in the Savior’s Sacrificial Cross. To draw people closer to God through these commands, the Church must, so to speak, also “read the news.”
It is essential for the Church to recognize the pain of its members, the issues poisoning their lives, and the temptations pulling the faithful away from God. It pains us when the Church chooses to remain detached from the daily struggles of its people, responding instead with rote actions and words. This detachment signals not only a disconnect from current affairs but from the Gospel itself. By distancing itself from society and failing to engage in ways that ease life and guide people toward the right path, the Church demonstrates indifference toward individuals—and thus their salvation.
Unlike the Church, the world does not claim immutability. One of humanity’s basic laws of development is constant change. Therefore, a key task for the Church is reconciling these seemingly opposing theses: “The Church is unchanging” and “The world is changing.” If the Church is truly guided by the Gospel, it must understand and engage with the modern world. Perhaps this is not crucial for some of us. But countless people may never embark on the path to salvation unless they feel the Church is aware of, and attentive to, their struggles.