Page - 192 - in Menschenrechte und Gerechtigkeit als bleibende Aufgaben - Beiträge aus Religion, Theologie, Ethik, Recht und Wirtschaft

© 2020, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783847111658 – ISBN E-Lib: 9783737011655 tobeinsurmountable.MetropolitanHilarionAlfejewaffirmsopenlytheideathat for theROCRussia,UkraineandBelarusare“onespiritualspace”23 thatcannot beseparatedjurisdictionally.ThepointhereisnottostartdiscussingUkrainian autocephalyperse,butonlytoemphasizehowanationalistic ideology–putting one’s own interest first– led almost to the failure of ecclesial synodality and maybeof theautocephaly systemitself. 3.3 TheChallengeofDifferent (Ecclesial) Identities Another challenge in the Ukrainian ecclesial context is that each Orthodox Church encompasses a specific identity narrative. This legitimises and influ- encestherelationshipwiththeotherpartsofsocietyandcomplicatestheprocess ofreconciliation.InthefollowingIwillreferbrieflytoseveralcrucialelementsin relationto thesenarrativesandto theway theyoperatewithinsociety. 1)TheUOC-MPadopts thenarrativeofcanonicityandlegitimacy.Being the only recognisedOrthodoxChurch inUkraine on thePan-OrthodoxLevel, the UOC-MPstresses thesignificanceof its legitimacy thatoriginates fromtheMP. AlthoughtheUOC-MPhashadaprivilegedcanonicalautonomywithintheMP since1900–coming second in importancewithin theROC24– its allegiance to Moscow isunequivocal, as it advances theconceptof theRusskiyMir (Russian World). Itsmaincharacteristics areOrthodox faith,Russianculture (especially language)andacommonhistoricalmemory.AccordingtothisconceptUkraine is an integral part of the RussianWorld, together with Russia, Belarus and Moldova.SuchanideasuccessivelyproclaimedbytheRussianOrthodoxChurch makestheachievementofpeaceandreconciliationintheUkraineverydifficult, becauseitcollideswiththeUkrainiangovernmentalclaimofindependencefrom Russia and self-determination in its political affairs. This idea obviously has majorconsequencesontheregional level,because it instrumentalisescollective memory in a proper sense of colonialism or post-imperialism and claims to influence theentiredestinyofallRus’people.25 23 AddressbyMetropolitanHilarionofVolokolamsk,Russia–Ukraine–Belarus:ACommon CivilizationalSpace? (Fribourg, Switzerland, June1st2019), see:http://www.patriarchia.ru/ en/db/text/5447266.html (accessedonJanuary28th2019). 24 UOC-MPpossess basically all the privileges of one autocephalousOrthodoxChurch. The only exception is that the patriarch ofMoscow reserved the right to confirm the bishops elected by the Sinod of UOC-MP. Cf. Nicholas E. Denysenko, The Orthodox Church in Ukraine,DeKalb2018,pp.170–176. 25 Formore details see the chapter “Thedoctrine of theRuskyMir” in:MyroslavaRap, The Public Role of the Church in Contemporary Ukrainian Society. The Contribution of the UkrainianGreek-CatholicChurchtoPeaceandReconciliation,Baden-Baden2015,pp.85– 90. CezarMarksteiner-Ungureanu192 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0