Mass searches in churches, breaking the lease agreement with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the arrest of metropolitans - may indicate that the process of pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) has begun. The authorities finally took off their rose-colored glasses and saw that the UOC-MP is pursuing a pro-Russian, pro-imperial policy that is contrary to the interests of the Ukrainian state. The motives of the clerics of the UOC-MP are understandable: only within the Russian Empire will they become the ruling privileged class. The Ukrainian authorities want to force the hierarchy of the UOC-MP to start a negotiation process with the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in order to unite and create a single local Orthodox Church. It is obvious that on the issue of attitude towards Russia, the state authorities of Ukraine and the hierarchy of the UOC-MP have opposite views.. How this conflict can end for the church and for the state?

The result is predictable, but it is not known how long.

The Church is not some public organization or political party. Received a court decision - and that's it... no organization. Judgment will not take away faith! Experience shows that the transition of a church to another confession is a rather lengthy and complex process.. The strength and power of the state in the current conflict is immeasurably greater than the church, and, accordingly, the result of this confrontation is predictable.. Since the 18th century, European countries have limited religious influence in society to a level where bishops could only fawn and fruitfully cooperate with powerful rulers, but in no way resist the imperial or presidential will.. The church will lose. The only question left open is when this will happen.?

Here are some examples of church-state conflicts in Ukrainian lands, when the state sought to convert believers to another religious denomination.

The Union of Berestey in 1596 began the process of persecution of the Orthodox in order to convert them to the Greco-Latin Church. It lasted about 150 years (!

After the division of the Commonwealth, the reverse process took place - Greek Catholics were converted to Orthodox. It took 80 years.

The Bolsheviks set themselves the goal not only to overcome the church, but also to destroy religiosity. They achieved significant success only in 1937, after 20 years of persecution..

After the end of World War II, the Stalinist terror machine liquidated the UGCC in one year, but a certain part of the Greek Catholics went underground and held secret services for 45 years, right up to 1990..

There is no reason to believe that the current conflict between the state and the church is somehow special and will be resolved at once. The duration of the conflict depends both on the effectiveness of the actions of the state, and on the ability of the church to skillfully defend itself.. If we take the game of chess as an analogy, then an inexperienced player will get a checkmate in three moves, and a master can hold out until the fortieth.

What methods of influence does the state use?

Based on the experience of previous conflicts, it can be assumed that in the arsenal of the state there are such methods of influencing the church.

The most effective and least expensive method is to negotiate with bishops and archimandrites, trying to encourage them to convert to the desired confession.. Since the church gained power and wealth, apostolic poverty and holiness have evaporated.. The most senior churchmen now live in luxury. So it was once, and it is naive to believe that now this tradition has disappeared.. The top of the church can be corny bribed.

The monastery is a powerful center of religious life and a fortress of resistance. The community of monks and monks, protected by the monastery walls, is able to provide organized resistance. The state always tried to subdue the monasteries when it was dissatisfied with the policy of the church. For example, in 1833 the Greek Catholic Pochaev Monastery was transferred to the Orthodox. The reason for this step of power was the support of the Polish uprising by the monks..

Economic pressure on the church: churches were closed, estates and lands were taken away from bishops and monasteries, it was forbidden to build new and repair existing churches, and pogroms were organized in courtyards.

Oppression of priests. The priest has the second degree of priesthood after the bishop. They were deprived of parishes, transferred to serve in "

Arrests of clergy, exile, physical violence.

Methods of persuasion, such as preaching or religious controversy, accompanied acts of violence, but were considered less effective and efficient..

Church resistance.

The most significant factor that can strengthen the position of the church in the fight against the state is the loyalty and support of the political elite and the people.. So, the Cossacks were a reliable defender of Orthodoxy (that's why they lasted 150 years! The arrogance and superiority of the current elite of the UOC-MP caused a confrontation between the church and society. The military aggression of Russia only intensified this conflict, which results in open clashes and enmity between patriotic citizens and clergy of the UOC-MP. A significant part of the clergy is able to resist the authorities. Experience shows that up to 75% of clerics may refuse to convert to another denomination. Some parishes were left without priests, and monasteries without monks. The times of the crusaders have long passed and for several centuries the clergy have not taken up arms. Terrorist attacks were isolated and happened very infrequently.. Opposition clergy emigrated to other states (Orthodox - to Wallachia and Moldova) or went underground (UGCC). The church actively sought allies. For example, the Orthodox in 1599 entered into an alliance with the Protestants in order to resist the Catholics and the Uniates.. Now the clergy of the UOC-MP are asking Patriarch Bartholomew to accept them under his omophorion, to give their parishes a special status of stavropegic or temporary exarchate for a transitional period of several years.

Conclusion.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church testifies that the church, like its branches represented by the UOC-MP, was not only a supporter, but also the center of the Russian Empire. All Russian imperial ideologies, such as the ideology of the people of Count Uvarov or the ideology of the “Russian world”, considered the church a stronghold of autocracy.

Accordingly, the conflict between the Ukrainian state and the Russian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) is inevitable.

The liquidation of the church and the forced change of confessional jurisdiction are parallel, but different processes.. The liquidation of the UOC-MP does not mean at all that its clergy in full force will automatically go over to the OCU.

The conflict between the state and the church can continue for a long time, which requires wisdom, balance, will, competent tactics and strategy from the state.

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