Orthodox Reflections

By Nicholas – member of the Western Rite Vicariate, a part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese in America

Did you hear the news? A group of Russian intelligence agents were welcomed on Capitol Hill to spread propaganda about Christian persecution in the Ukrainian War. These dastardly villains were operating under the direct orders of arch heretic Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. Quick – alert the DOJ!

Actually, a group of American Orthodox Christians from multiple American Orthodox jurisdictions went to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives on 18 November 2025. They were there to speak on behalf of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians who are suffering very real persecution. Christian persecution that is funded by American tax dollars, and flowing directly out of previous American actions in Ukraine.

What? American Orthodox Christians, you say? Yes. American Orthodox Christians – a fact lost on many because of the purposefully slanted coverage of the event. In an article published by The Hill titled White House to meet clergy with ties to pro-war Russian Orthodox Church, journalist Laura Kelly’s coverage of the event gave the impression that the delegation was fresh off an Aeroflot flight from Moscow. Two U.S. Representatives also got into the frame expressing their outrage, one going so far as to send a letter requesting AG Pam Bondi open an official investigation. Let’s read some key sections of the article below:

Lobbyists and clergy with ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, which has been a staunch backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, are campaigning this week on Capitol Hill and meeting with the Trump administration.

 

Among the clergy lobbying Capitol Hill this week include representatives from at least three churches that hold ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. This includes the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, which in 2007 entered into “canonical unity” with the Russian Orthodox Church, preserving the outside churches’ independence but viewed as an “indissoluble part” of the Moscow patriarch.

 

Some House Republicans are requesting Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate whether the Russian Federation or its intelligence services have sought to recruit, leverage, influence or compromise U.S.-based Orthodox churches with ties to Moscow.

 

“It has come to my attention that ROCOR [Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia] is actively seeking to expand its political influence in the United States, including through an event reportedly scheduled for November 18, 2025, aimed at lobbying Members of Congress and their staff,” read a draft letter addressed to Bondi led by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), which was shared with The Hill while additional House Republicans are signing on.

 

“This development raises legitimate concerns that ROCOR or other Russian Orthodox jurisdictions could serve as vehicles for intelligence collection or foreign influence operations directed at U.S. policymakers.”

 

Bishop Irinej of the Washington-New York and Eastern America Serbian Orthodox Church is also participating in the delegation. The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, was in Moscow in April and met with Putin and Patriarch Kirill, a key Putin ally accused of being a veteran of the Soviet-era spy agency, the KGB.

 

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an offshoot of the Russian Orthodox Church, headquartered in Moscow and under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill.

 

In August 2024, Ukraine banned the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), a move that largely targeted the church’s offshoot in the country, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarch.

 

The move was criticized by the United Nations, the pope, and human rights organizations as an assault on religious freedom, and some analysts raised alarm that it was an overreach by Kyiv in its push to disrupt the ROC’s influence and operations in Ukraine.

See what the author and Representative Joe Wilson (along with other Republicans who signed the referral letter to Bondi) did there? Russia, Russia, Russia… Orthodoxy equals Russia, equals enemy of the United States, which makes the Americans participating in this delegation dangerous Russian intelligence assets and/or traitors. Evidently American Orthodox Christians all take a personal loyalty oath to Putin.

Here is a picture of these dastardly Russian agents with their host, Republican U.S. Representative Luna.

Rep. Luna with representatives from the ROCOR, OCA, Antiochian, Serbian, and Greek jurisdictions Photo: Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco

The delegation was put together by a pan-Orthodox (meaning not tied to any specific jurisdiction) fraternity called the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco. Among the clergy and hierarchs present were Metropolitan Nicholas (ROCOR), Bishop John Abdalah (Antioch), Fr. David Bozeman (OCA), and Fr. Vasilije Vranic (Serbian Orthodox Church). The organizer of the meeting was Catherine Whiteford, co-chair of the Young Republican National Federation.

Notice something about the group? There are no Russians involved. These are Americans. Only one jurisdiction, ROCOR, has an actual official “tie” to Moscow, and that is not much of one as (even The Hill article admitted) the jurisdiction is self-governing under American hierarchs. The other jurisdictions’ only connection to Moscow is that they are in communion with the Russian Church. The Church they were there to speak on behalf of, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), officially severed all ties with Moscow in May 2022 as a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The UOC is under the leadership of a native-born Ukrainian Metropolitan Onuphry. The UOC is run by Ukrainians for Ukrainians and fully supports the Ukrainian War effort.

This is Metropolitan Onuphry, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that Kiev wants to crush with the support of American hate mongers. This is who they are attacking. Not Putin. Not Patriarch Kirill. This man who is renowned for his selfless love of his flock and his unwavering dedication to his cherished homeland. To pretend that he and his Church are Russian agents is pure, absolute evil.

These are all easily discoverable facts. Too easily discoverable for the breathless Russia, Russia, Russia narrative in the article and Congressional statements to be mere mistakes. Rather, the framing of this as Muscovites invade Capitol Hill is part of a long-running campaign to discredit the Orthodox Church.

For those who are not aware: our cultural, political, economic, and foreign policy elites have long regarded the rapidly growing American Orthodox jurisdictions as existential threats to their power. Orthodoxy is morally traditional, locally minded, anti-war, anti-Zionist, pro-natalist, anti-abortion, anti-transhumanist, and eschews partisan politics. Orthodoxy has also not disavowed its traditional teaching against usury (the basis of our modern economy). In other words, the Orthodox Church opposes practically everything the governing elites in America value. An America with a large Orthodox minority will be a very different place from today. The prospect of Orthodox growth scares the daylights out of the powers-that-be.

Which is why this latest excretion from The Hill is right in line with a string of previously published anti-Orthodox “hit pieces,” frequently penned by nominally Orthodox writers. We covered a few of them, and some subversion by nominally Orthodox online influencers, in this article called The National Security War Against Orthodox Unity. (Link goes directly to the article section on hit pieces and influencers.) The anti-Orthodox narrative could be summarized as: “ROCOR (and by extension the other Orthodox jurisdictions in communion with her) are dangerous Putinist radicals out to undermine American national security, spread Russian propaganda, and are only growing by recruiting right-wing extremists who are racist, fascist threats to America’s liberal democratic order.”

Hollywood has even gotten into the anti-Orthodox narrative business. The John Wick movies and the TV show Mayor of Kingstown, just to give two examples, feature Orthodox Churches as creepy headquarters to criminal enterprises, even showing Orthodox clergy as active participants in nefarious activities such as murder, torture, arms trafficking, and drug dealing.

A criminal syndicate was prominently featured in John Wick 3 operating out of an Orthodox Church, with the full participation of local clergy.  

Hollywood’s message is quite clear, and is on the same page as that put forward on X by Representative Joe Wilson – the Russian Orthodox Church is not really a religious organization at all. It is an arm of the corrupt Russian state which, if Hollywood imagery is to believed, is also involved in all kinds of dangerous criminal activities. If all this negativity were only directed at the actual Russian Orthodox Church, it would be contemptible but not much of a problem for Americans. Anyone visiting an Orthodox Church in the U.S. can clearly see no one is running drugs, guns, assassination rings or influence campaigns. However, with the ongoing clumsy attempt to link all Orthodox Christians to Russia, these negative portrayals have very much become our problem.

The Greeks, however, are exempt from inclusion in this narrative. The Patriarchate of Constantinople is protected from any criticism as an enthusiastic Western security asset. It was Patriarch Bartholomew, working with then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that created the conditions for the very persecution in Ukraine our intrepid delegation was in Washington to protest. Constantinople is “our” man, and the Deep State, fronted by people like Representative Joe Wilson, leverage him to the hilt.

ROCOR is an American Orthodox jurisdiction which is self-governing. Neither Patriarch Kirill nor Putin control or influence American Orthodox Christians. The recent delegation to Washington featured representatives from multiple American Orthodox jurisdictions, yet all of them were slandered as Russia agents. Ironically, Patriarch Bartholomew actually is an American security asset. He is the face of “good” Orthodoxy – amenable to globalist polices, ecumenist, and endlessly willing to compromise the Orthodox Faith to curry favor with his masters. 

The U.S. founded the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) with the help of Patriarch Bartholomew. This sordid affair is covered in an article on The American Conservative website entitled Zelensky vs. the Ukrainian Orthodox Church:

The State Department and politicians of both parties carried out work to promote the new church. Two months before the creation of the OCU in 2018, Filaret and Epifaniy met in the United States with Joe Biden, who declared his gratitude for their work. State Department Ambassador for Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and special representative for Ukraine Ambassador Kurt Volker declared their support for this project.

 

Immediately after its creation, the OCU received its first official congratulations from the State Department and the U.S. Embassy. At the same time, Ambassador Brownback and the U.S. ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt—who was also ambassador to Ukraine from 2013 to 2016—visited church leaders and Mount Athos to urge them to recognize the OCU. Both Ambassador Volker and Secretary Pompeo met with Epifaniy many times. All facts indicate that the promotion of the OCU was part of U.S. policy in Ukraine.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, and all its affiliated organizations, have been working feverishly since 2018 to get other Orthodox Churches to recognize OCU (a mission that has largely failed). The Patriarchate has also striven mightily to cover up the persecution of the UOC, which began long before the war. Persecution of the UOC was never popular among the majority of Ukrainians.  Zelenskyy was, in fact, elected on a promise to not interfere in religious affairs. Bait, please meet, Switch.

The UOC is recognized by the vast majority of Orthodox Churches worldwide (U.S. included) as the canonical church in Ukraine. That the vast majority of Orthodox have rejected OCU is highly embarrassing to the “Ecumenical Patriarch” in Constantinople. Even multiple Greek hierarchs, priests, and laity have refused to abandon Metropolitan Onuphry, despite serious American-backed pressure from Constantinople. Also embarrassing is the very visible persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians by their own government. Even more embarrassing is the very plausible rumor circulating that the U.S. paid Patriarch Bartholomew a multi-million dollar bribe to formally recognize the fake, nationalist, modernist OCU.

All this embarrassment, combined with an ongoing need to keep favor with the U.S. Deep State, causes top-level Greeks in America to frequently insult fellow Orthodox Christians as Russian pawns. The text below is from a disgusting online letter from Archon National Commander Anthony J. Limberakis, MD:

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP) note with dismay and regret that Russian Orthodox clergy who are boosters of Vladimir Putin’s unjust, immoral and monstrous war against Ukraine are meeting this week with White House officials and Congressional leaders in Washington.

 

Rep. Wilson rightly notes that the Russian Orthodox Church, including the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) has been operating as an extension of the Russian state, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has criticized it for doing so on numerous occasions.

With Orthodox brothers like these, who needs enemies?

Before we move on, there is one more thing to point out about Patriarch Bartholomew. Among many Greeks in the U.S., the Patriarch and his ecclesiastical henchmen are as popular as spoiled goat milk. This erosion of support, combined with the rapid growth of other American Orthodox jurisdictions, means Patriarch Bartholomew is losing influence even as he dreams of becoming an Orthodox Pope. The Greek Archdiocese, at least at the top, would enthusiastically collaborate with the U.S. national security state in closing and/or illegally absorbing competing Orthodox jurisdictions. They did it in Ukraine. They are doing it in Estonia. They are trying to do it in other countries around the world. They would absolutely do it here. All in the name of “national security” of course.

The goal of building this anti-Orthodox narrative is pure intimidation. The ruling elite wants us frightened. They hope a good scare is enough to make us run and hide. Why bother to forcibly close our churches, if we close them ourselves out of fear? By whatever means necessary, the Deep State Swamp wants to stop the Orthodox from growing and changing the national conversation. Even the New York Times has been forced to take notice that our parishes are full of new faces:

Something is changing in an otherwise quiet corner of Christianity in the United States, one that prides itself on how little it has changed over time. Priests are swapping stories about record attendance numbers. Older members are adjusting — or not — to the influx of new attendees. Parishes are strategizing about how to accommodate more prospective converts than existing clergy can reasonably handle on their own.

 

Across the country, the ancient tradition of Orthodox Christianity is attracting energetic new adherents, especially among conservative young men. They are drawn to what they describe as a more demanding, even difficult, practice of Christianity. Echoing some of the rhetoric of the so-called manosphere, new waves of young converts say Orthodoxy offers them hard truths and affirms their masculinity.

Okay, you get the picture. The anti-Orthodox narrative isn’t new, and as long as we are growing, it won’t go away. And now the threat level has definitely been dialed up a few notches. We face enemies both outside, and within, the Orthodox Church. So – what now? Here are 7 suggestions to ponder for what to do going forward.

1. Keep Engaged in Church but Take Precautions

Do not withdraw from Church. Do not cancel any events. Do not shut up. Do not keep a low profile. Keep doing exactly what you are doing. The Church survived the Soviets, the Ottoman Empire, and we will survive the decline of the American Empire just the same.

The Joe Wilsons of the world are perfectly fine if all this talk about treason stirs up actual anti-Orthodox violence. It makes the fear they want us to feel all the more real. Now that we have all been labeled traitors, threats of all kinds have started popping up online. Given the physical assaults (including arson) that other churches have suffered, we do need to take these threats seriously. While cowering at home on Sundays is not an option, we do recommend that Orthodox men be prepared to defend themselves and their parishes.

We also recommend being careful with interactions with people you don’t know. Federal agents may end up in our parishes as part of a DOJ investigation. Past experience has taught us that Feds with an agenda are perfectly capable of creating crimes where none actually exist. Be open. Be friendly. Show everyone the love of Christ, but watch out for anyone asking weird questions or trying to stir up trouble.

If you are ever interrogated, remember to never talk to police or federal agents.

 2. Don’t Fall into the Russia Trap

As noted, the Swampy Deep State wants to make this entire debate about how awful Russia is. Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church should not even be involved in this conversation. The Swamp creatures will say awful things about the Russian Orthodox Church. Let them. Don’t defend Russia, as that plays into their game of pretending we are all Russian agents. American Orthodox Christians are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church, except to the extent that we are in communion with her. We are not duty-bound to defend Russia’s war, Russia’s actions, or the honor of Patriarch Kirill. Let the Russians see to their own affairs.

This conversation is strictly about the right of American Orthodox Christians to peacefully petition the U.S. government to stop spending their tax dollars to fund the persecution of Ukrainian Orthodox Christians. The UOC has cut all ties with Moscow, and fully supports her own troops in their current war effort against the Russians. Representative Luna set exactly the right tone on X:

It is both alarming and disappointing that  @RepJoeWilson, instead of responding to a request for help on behalf of imprisoned Ukranian Orthodox members currently being held in Ukraine, chose to turn this into a press campaign against them. Mr. Wilson — with whom I have no personal issues on foreign affairs and who is currently a vocal advocate for Ukraine, even wearing a Ukrainian flag nearly every day — should remember that his first priority is to his own country. His second should be ensuring that American taxpayer dollars are not used to imprison Orthodox Christians simply because the word “Russia” appears in their church name. In December, I will be hosting numerous members of the Orthodox Church from across the country alongside several Members of Congress. More to come on this.

The delegation that went to Washington was comprised of American citizens speaking on behalf of persecuted Ukrainians. That is the truth the Swamp wants so badly to conceal. Don’t let them get away with it.

Part of not falling for the “Russia” bait will involve educating people concerning the nature of Orthodox Ecclesiology. It is true that ROCOR is officially part of the Russian Orthodox Church in a way that no other American Orthodox jurisdiction is. That fact is not hidden, but it can be easily misrepresented. See this example below.

ROCOR is a self-governing Church. Being “under” Moscow in Orthodox Ecclesiastical terms does not mean Patriarch Kirill gets to give orders to Americans. We are not Roman Catholics, and he is not a Pope. All Orthodox bishops are equal, and each one is sovereign in his own diocese. The local ROCOR priests report to their bishops, who in turn are subject to the ROCOR American synod. They are not subject to any kind of control from Moscow. No one in Moscow, not Patriarch Kirill and certainly not Putin, gets to interfere with the governance and actions of ROCOR. Or any other American Orthodox jurisdiction for that matter. Our American bishops frequently disagree with Moscow on a great many things, including the war in Ukraine. That is perfectly Orthodox. We are a family of Churches, not a corporation with a global CEO.

3. Don’t Fall into the War Trap

The persecution of the UOC actually began prior the war even having started. The purpose of the delegation going to Washington was strictly to protest Christian persecution. The trip was not at about the war in any way. Here is the list of things the delegation was seeking from their own American representatives in Congress:

• Stop any U.S. funding that directly contributes to the persecution of religious groups.
• End the drafting of Orthodox clergy to frontline combat roles.
• Provide immediate medical care to imprisoned clergy.
• Release clergy and journalists detained for their faith or for reporting on these abuses.

None of those points have anything to do with continued U.S. funding for Ukrainian war efforts. Individual Orthodox may have their own opinions about the war. America is still a free country after all. But collectively, this effort has nothing to do with the war. The American Orthodox involved are solely seeking to preserve the same freedom of religion for Ukrainians that we demand for ourselves as Americans. As Orthodox Christians, that should be our sole focus in any discussion.

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4. Keep the Pressure Up

The 18 November meeting was only the start. Another meeting between a U.S. Representative and Orthodox clergy, under the auspices of the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, took place on Capitol Hill on 19 Nov 2025. At that meeting, the pan-Orthodox delegation discussed the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

In a post on X, Catherine Whiteford of the delegation, who also serves as co-Chair of the Young Republican National Federation, said:

“We are grateful for his leadership as Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and, as an Antiochian Orthodox Christian himself, for his deep understanding of the challenges faced by persecuted Christians around the world. Thankful for the conversation and his commitment to defending religious freedom.”

Bravo for not yielding to slander and threats, while continuing to stand up for Ukrainian Christians!

The Society of Saint John of Shangai plans another Congressional action on 16 December 2025. Here is the official announcement from their Website:

In the face of threats to expand the surveillance and persecution of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Orthodox Church—by those who sacrifice Church to State—The Society of Saint John of Shanghai, a domestic coalition of Orthodox brotherhoods, is coordinating a national day of action on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, December 16th, 2025.

 

With the blessing of Metropolitan Nicholas, our petition advocates for the defense of the long-suffering Holy Orthodox Church and its faithful in Ukraine, who cannot advocate for themselves. We will be standing before Senators, Members of Congress, and Policy staff with Orthodox Christians from across the United States, to include other Greek, ROCOR, Serbian, Antiochian, and OCA jurisdictional parishioners, clergy, and monastics—raising awareness of the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Onufriy being carried out by the Ukrainian government since before the Russo-Ukrainian war with the support of NATO.

 

Please share this invitation with other representatives and sign up at http://societyofstjohn.com

This is exactly the right approach – Christian boldness in the face of threats. The Church of the Martyrs will not be intimidated. For the sake of the persecuted Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, let us get even louder.

5. The UOC is the Real Ukrainian Church Under Real Persecution

Americans by and large hate history, but a certain amount of it is necessary. The narrative that the UOC is a “splinter” group falls apart under any unbiased historical examination. Prior to the war, 70% of Ukrainians belonged to the UOC. The heretical, schismatic OCU was not founded because of a Russian threat. It was founded as a vehicle for extreme Ukrainian nationalism, as a political prop for Poroshenko’s failed presidential campaign, and as a base of support for Western use of Ukraine as a proxy to “degrade” Russia. In other words, it is not a real Church, but is in fact everything that Swamp creatures are accusing the UOC of being.

Please learn enough of the history to succinctly explain how OCU came into being, the lineage of the UOC dating back to Prince Vladimir, and why the vast majority of Orthodox Christians worldwide reject OCU and continue supporting the UOC (which is still the majority Church in Ukraine). A good article to start learning is here.

Further, Swamp creatures and their proxies often fall back on denying persecution of the UOC is even happening. The ongoing persecution is easily proven. Even our own American Vice President J.D. Vance took Patriarch Bartholomew to task over it during a White House meeting:

Political analyst Kostiantyn Bondarenko, in a conversation with blogger Oleksandr Shelest, spoke about the details of the White House meeting between Patriarch Bartholomew and Vice President J.D. Vance.

 

Bondarenko reminded that Vance is a well-known supporter of religious freedoms.

 

“And Patriarch Bartholomew was explicitly told that there is persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine,” the political analyst continued.

 

According to him, the Patriarch, in response, tried to justify himself by appealing to the Holodomor and Stalinist repressions, which in the current situation looked extremely unconvincing.

 

Also, according to Bondarenko, Patriarch Bartholomew was “asked to give an account of his relations with Mike Pompeo, of Mike Pompeo’s involvement in the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the granting of the Tomos. Besides, a specific sum was named.”

God bless J.D. Vance! This encounter visibly rattled Patriarch Bartholomew. Here was the VP of his patron country not only pointing out the persecution of the UOC, that His All-Holiness directly caused, but also asking about a possible American bribe offered in exchange for the OCU’s tomos of autocephaly. Patriarch Bartholomew could do nothing but ineffectively sputter in return.

Fr. John Whiteford has published a sobering collection of video evidence on his blog detailing the persecution of innocent Ukrainian Christians. Visit the link here for the videos. Below is an excerpt from his post:

Some will claim that this effort was an attempt to embarrass the Ukrainian government, but that is also a ridiculous claim, because the only thing Ukraine would need to do to stop the embarrassment would be to stop persecuting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

 

What kind of persecution is happening? Clergy are being beaten. Parishioners are being beaten. Churches are being stolen, and then often just padlocked. Clergy and monks are being drafted into the Army, despite the fact they cannot fight, by profession.

Below is additional evidence of the horrific abuses suffered by Ukrainian Orthodox Christians.

Orthodox priests are not allowed to bear arms in conflict. 

Keep in mind that all of this abuse of the UOC is intended to force Ukrainians into the “official” government-sponsored OCU. This effort is clearly failing. OCU parishes (especially the ones seized from the UOC) stand empty, while OCU also suffers a critical shortage of qualified priests. In two articles here and here,  Yaroslav Yasynets, a former cleric of the Kyiv Diocese of  OCU, gives an inside look at a failing, astroturfed pseudo-church:

“Very often, OCU priests are people with no theological education at all — those who just yesterday were working in secular jobs. If they have not themselves received the sacred tradition of the Church into their hearts, how can they possibly convey it to others?” the former OCU cleric asks. Yasynets also points not only to the low educational level of candidates for the priesthood but to moral problems as well:

 

“There are many examples where not only uneducated but also immoral people — bigamists or deliberate fornicators — are allowed to be ordained. Rampant alcoholism and other harmful habits among clergy are also widely known.”

 

The former cleric draws attention to what he calls a critical shortage of priests in the OCU. Despite having more than 8,000 parishes, the Church has only about 4,000 clergy.

 

One of the main problems mentioned by the Yasenets is the situation with seized temples, according to a report from the UOJ’s Ukraine branch. Yasenets says that many churches taken from the UOC stand practically empty.

 

“Often the UOC community remains with its priest, their temple is taken away, and they celebrate the liturgy and pray elsewhere. And the temple transferred to the OCU stands empty,” notes Yasenets. “You don’t have to go far. Anyone can open the internet, Google, YouTube and search for these proofs there, because there are a lot of photos and videos.

 

It’s worth asking ourselves: what are we doing wrong compared to the hated Muscovites, that people go to them and are often ready to even pray in adapted premises, defend their churches with their chests, while our temples and altars are emptying? Why do churches transferred to the OCU by hook or by crook stand empty? 

 

“Maybe it’s time to stop blaming mythical external enemies for everything and start asking ourselves critical questions,” Yasenets declares.

So which is the real Ukrainian Church and which is the “splinter” – the Church that people stay with even after their temples are seized and they are thrown into the streets, or the “church” ordaining unqualified men whose temples stand empty?

6. Make Constantinople Feel Real Repercussions

American Orthodox have put up with a lot from the Patriarchal henchmen running the Greek Archdiocese over the years. To maintain Eucharistic unity, we have tolerated flirtations with heresy, embarrassing ecumenist actions, slander of American Orthodox Christians (even priests), and support for Ukrainian Christian persecution. We’ve tolerated it all up till now. However, we have finally gotten to the last straw. It comes in the form of a letter from the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Archons supporting Rep. Joe Wilson’s egregious slander of the members of the Washington delegation. The Archons, an “official” arm of the Patriarchate, are outright calling for persecution of American Orthodox Christians.

Enough is enough. Well known podcaster Fr. Thomas Soroka has called for OCA (and hopefully more jurisdictions besides) to suspend membership in the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops. Bravo! The Assembly is essentially under Greek Archdiocese control, and the participation of other jurisdictions has done little other than serving to legitimize one bad action after another.

Barring a real apology and show of genuine support from the Greek Archdiocese for the slandered American Orthodox Christians (not just a statement of “we did nothing wrong”), American Orthodox jurisdictions should start with leaving the Assembly, and then go as far as necessary to put a stop to this kind of behavior. We cannot continue to just ignore the threat posed by the Patriarchate of Constantinople and its U.S. affiliates.

7. Teach the Truth – Orthodox Catholic Christianity is not “Foreign”

Whether in this slanderous attack, or in the polemics of Protestant “Christian Nationalists,” Orthodox Christianity is frequently portrayed as “foreign.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Orthodox Catholicism is the root of Western Civilization. At one time, the entire Catholic Church was united, both East and West, in preserving the true Christian Faith once delivered to the Apostles.

This is evident in our Orthodox veneration of pre-schism Western Saints, including those of our mother civilization of England. It is true that Roman Catholicism departed from the true Christian Faith, and that the so-called “Reformers” went even further afield. But the Christian Faith that built the West is still alive and well in the Orthodox Church. This common Orthodox heritage was brilliantly covered in this video from an Orthodox man in Great Britain.

As Orthodox, we are often keen to tell people how Orthodoxy is different from Roman Catholicism and the modern religious bodies birthed by the Reformation. It is true that the original, undefiled Christian Faith is vastly different from the local megachurch and the local Episcopal Church with a lesbian “priest.” What we sometimes fail to communicate, however, is that far from being “foreign,” the Orthodox Catholic Faith was once the very fabric of Western society. The growth of Orthodoxy in the U.S. is a reclamation of our true Western heritage, not its rejection.

For quite recent historical reasons, some of our jurisdictions have ethnic names attached to them. That is a phenomenon which will pass as a small blip in the 2,000 year history of the Church founded by Christ through the Apostles. Orthodoxy is the True Faith on which rests all Christian civilization – East and West. For Americans who inherited this legacy, albeit in a garbled form, there is absolutely nothing foreign about Orthodoxy. As American Orthodox Christians, it is our job to explain that to anyone willing to listen.