While the idea of creating a national Orthodox church independent of Moscow found the support basically among the Ukrainian clerics, now it has won international support. This has been evidenced by several messages which Bartholomew I sent to the Ukrainian people while in Kyiv.

Still, it is unlikely that the idea of having a national church will be implemented soon, the expert opined.

However, the messages sent by Bartholomew I are important and new for Ukraine, he believes. First, the head of Orthodoxy declared that Ukraine, despite Russia’s opposition, has the right to set up its own church.

Second, Bartholomew I indicated clearly that the merger of the Kyiv patriarchate with Moscow in 1686 was illegal and forceful. Not challenging the merger, the Constantinople patriarchate, however, had always disagreed with it. Third, the Constantinople church cannot agree with the schisms and splits afflicting the Ukrainian church. Four, Bartholomew I claimed that Constantinople has the role of mediator among various churches in the Orthodox world.

Over the past 10 years, the expert continued, Constantinople has played a very constructive role trying to patch up the disputes among Orthodox churches.

De-facto, there is a national Orthodox church in Ukraine, but it doesn’t have a recognized status, Andry Yurash observed, adding that without Constantinople the issue cannot be resolved because Moscow will never agree to back the emergence of an independent church in Ukraine.

“The fact that Bartholomew I didn’t lead the prayer in Kyiv on his own and was joined by Moscow’s Patriarch Alexy II, clearly shows that he deliberately didn’t want to irk the Russian cleric,” the expert said.

He also noted that the Kyiv patriarch refrained from participating in major festivities not to provoke any confrontation and in the hope of restoring the Kyiv independent church subordinated to Constantinople.

There are 11,000 parishes of the UOC (Moscow patriarchate), against 4,500 of the UOC (Kyiv patriarchate), with 1,000 parishes run by the autocephalous Orthodox church. 40% of Ukrainians identify themselves with the Kyiv patriarchate, while only 15-18% with the Moscow patriarchate, the expert said.

The support of the state is important in establishing the national church in Ukraine. However, since the Orthodoxy in Ukraine is divided, the Constantinople Patriarch cannot rely on any part of it and his involvement in the Ukrainian matters will not solve the conflict but will rather lead to the emergence of new religious configurations, Andry Yurash concluded.