This article is part of the mini-project “Thoughts Aloud” for the joint initiative of the Sophia Brotherhood and the German foundation Renovabis, titled “Contemporary Ukrainian Orthodoxy: Debunking Myths for the Sake of Reconciliation Among Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and the Consolidation of Ukrainian Society.” The Sophia Brotherhood does not necessarily endorse every viewpoint shared by contributors; individual opinions may not reflect the Brotherhood’s official stance.
Priest Oleh Horbovskyi, the Kherson Diocese of the OCU (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
The past five years have proven extremely difficult for Orthodoxy in Ukraine. These years have revealed the depth of our crisis. First COVID-19, then the full-scale invasion exposed the inability of a conservative and fundamentalist religious system—functioning without updates for centuries—to respond swiftly to the challenges of our time. Orthodox Christians in Ukraine have demonstrated a complete inability to engage in dialogue, not only with other Orthodox religious institutions but even within a single religious and administrative community. There has been a refusal to consolidate, even in the face of an existential threat.
Church organizations are capable of fighting for church buildings right up until the moment when those very structures are seized or destroyed by an occupying force. Total disrespect and disregard for the religious beliefs of others, verbal abuse and physical confrontations—all of this accompanies an internal war in the country: a war for church property. If someone wishes to engage in a brawl, in today’s world, church organizations offer a legitimate opportunity to do so in the House of God. The Gospel and the Cross, in today’s ecclesiastical reality, are being replaced by the aspergillum and the censer.
Yet, despite the grim outlook, crises have the potential to reveal strong individuals—guides. Perhaps each of us should look inward and awaken that “alter ego,” the guide who is capable of being led by the teachings of the Gospel and drawing divine strength from the Word of God for renewal and transformation.
Still, it is not enough to simply awaken such a guide within ourselves. One must also find the opportunity to realize this “alter ego” in practice. It is not sufficient to “work into the void”—we must also possess real leverage for bringing about positive change, for evangelization, and for the consolidation of Orthodox communities. To achieve this, it is necessary to work among Orthodox believers, uniting efforts with the faithful of various Orthodox traditions and finding paths to dialogue despite the intense confrontations—not only between different structures, but even within one.