Abstract:
An important moment in the recent history of the Eastern Orthodox Church was for sure the
recognition granted to the Ukrainian Orthodoxy by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
with the Tomos of autocephaly (2019). Praised by some Orthodox churches and damned by
other, it was preceded by some attempts of negotiation initiated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
and by a few meetings between the representatives of the aforementioned institution, Russian
Patriarchate and the Ukrainian local churches that was later recognised by Constantinople and
by a Schism between the Constantinople and Moscow. At the same time, it divided the local
Orthodox churches between the ones who sustain one or the other side or prefer to remain in a
neutral state and determined later meetings like the one from Amman in Jordan (2020), between
leaders and representatives of the Orthodox Church. Conscious of the relevance of the event and
its potential consequences, we have tried here to see how it was reflected in the ecumenical
space. Therefore, we have proceeded to the investigation of the journals from the ecumenical
area that spoke about it, and we analysed the way how they saw it and emphasised the main
elements that have raised their interest. Together with the ecclesiastical challenges, we found
that they were also interested in this problem not only for its theological meaning but also
because of its geopolitical relevance. The research, based on the literature investigated, therefore
presents the Ukrainian problem and its image in the ecumenical space.
CONTRIBUTION : The research investigates how the image of the Eastern Orthodox Church
changed in the ecumenical space after the foundation of the New Ukrainian Church and the
debates that followed inside of the Orthodox space in this context. It is linked with the scope
of the journal due to the fact that investigates a topic relevant for the ecumenical area and
presents a topic that can contribute in the future to the change of the relationships with
different churches with the Orthodox one.
Description:
Rev. Iuliu-Marius is
participating in the research
project, ‘Political Theology’,
directed by Dr Tanya van
Wyk, Department of
Systematic and Historical
Theology, Faculty of Theology
and Religion, University of
Pretoria.
