On the vast global chessboard, the current situation is truly unprecedented. The USA, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, and nearby players like China, Turkey, and Israel test their limits daily.
This geopolitical blaze, ignited across the world, also threatens to consume the very fabric of Orthodoxy. From the Phanar to the other Patriarchates, they watch helplessly as events unfold. Some are left stunned, others appear paralyzed, unable to act decisively in defense of unity.
Will the deep wounds inflicted upon the body of Orthodoxy ever heal? Sadly, all signs point to the contrary.
The gap
Most of the challenges arise from the profound divide between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Moscow. Political conflicts have become deeply intertwined with Orthodox matters. The fuse was lit in Ukraine— the first major fire in the Orthodox world’s calendar.
The second major blow—and a serious setback for both Orthodoxy and Greek diplomacy—is the ongoing dispute surrounding the Monastery of Sinai. Please remember: Egypt is highly unlikely to relinquish ownership rights to the monks, meaning the issue is far from resolved.
Geopolitically, Egypt aims to strengthen its control over the region, motivated by concerns over potential Palestinian resettlement. Additionally, there are internal tensions, as certain factions attempt to scapegoat Archbishop Damianos of Sinai, seeking to undermine and remove him from his position.
Ukraine, Africa and Cyprus
There is little hope for Ukraine. As long as Moscow clings stubbornly to its agenda and Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon insists on perceiving Kyiv’s crooked shore as straight, this third flare-up within Orthodoxy will endure.
Rather than uniting the Orthodox faithful of Ukraine under Metropolitan Epifaniy, Emmanuel and his ally Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, through their tactics, are driving them further into the arms of Onufriy.
Bishop Michael of Komana, appointed by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, has failed to make a positive impact. In Ukraine, the bitter contest over primacy and favor with the Patriarch continues unabated, while the Russians watch from the sidelines with amusement.
In Africa, a fourth crisis has erupted with the establishment of the Russian “exarchate.” The Wagner Group’s promises of security to troubled priests contrast sharply with the Patriarchate of Alexandria’s crippling shortage of clergy.
These priests struggle to survive, indifferent whether they remain under the confused leadership of Alexandria’s Theodore or fall under Moscow’s expanding influence — survival is their only concern.
In Cyprus, the new Archbishop has yet to establish firm footing. There, Orthodoxy faces its fifth conflagration. The scandal surrounding the Habakkuk Monastery, with the defrocking of monks, deeply shocked the Orthodox faithful.
The case of Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos — the choice of Archbishop Georgios — further highlights the crisis. His refusal to accept the transfer of the Apostle Paul’s skull if brought by Catholics, while being willing to bless deliveries transported by Muslims, underscores how the Orthodox remain fixated on trivial divisions, oblivious to the broader spiritual and communal crisis engulfing them.
Melchizedek
*Republished from the newspaper “Orthodox Truth”
