Diogenis Valavanidis, chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee of the Center for geostrategic studies
We have long noted that one should not be a great connoisseur of ecclesiological and geopolitical circumstances, in order to conclude that the Orthodox Church today has found itself in a vortex of numerous political and geopolitical combinations and abuses. This sequence of events was predicted 50 years ago by the wise André Malraux (1901-1976), the famous French politician, intellectual and Minister of culture in the government of the famous French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1959-1969), who said that "the church and faith will have an important place in the creation of the geopolitics of the Twenty-First Century".
Despite the knowledge of the above facts, we were very surprised by the news that is 24.12.2024. G. published on the network of the Orthodox Research Center "Chrisma", which deals with analytics in the field of church life, that Belarus plans to open a diplomatic representation, i.e. embassy in the Vatican. In addition, the corresponding decree of the Republic Government No. 988 of 20 was published. December 2024. years on the National Law portal.
The same document specifies that it is planned to open the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Holy See Before 1. September 2025. years. To make the surprise complete, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made sure that, in addition to the decision to open the embassy in the Vatican, he sent an official invitation to Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, to visit Belarus for the first time in history!
For the sake of truth, it is necessary to emphasize that this is not the first time President Lukashenko has invited the bishop of Rome to visit Belarus. The "fight for faith" portal is back in 2009. he reported that the then head of the Roman Catholic Church, Benedict XVI, received into the audience President Alexander Lukashenko, who invited him to visit Belarus. It was Lukashenko's first visit to Western Europe since 1996. he has long been isolated by the West for alleged violations of basic human rights in his country. On that occasion, he met with Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as well as foreign minister Franco Frattini.
Nevertheless, analyzing the latest sudden move by the Belarusian President, we note that the invitation to the bishop of Rome was made immediately on the eve of the presidential elections in this country, which are planned for the 26th. January 2025. years. Also, it is a public secret that the president of Belarus is very upset and worried about the open threats of a violent takeover of power in the country! In this context, we are free to assume that with this move President Lukashenko wanted to maintain the few open channels of communication with the West, and possibly send a message that he could also be "cooperative"? However, all of the above falls within the domain of speculation that is purely political in nature.
Nevertheless, we want to believe that the president of Belarus is aware that when the head of the Roman Catholic Church is invited to visit a country, the basic and indispensable order is to have the consent of the head of the local Orthodox autocephalous church and then the highest state authority in the country. Bearing in mind that the Belarusian Orthodox Church has been an Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church since 11. October 1989. in the year after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and thus under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, we ask ourselves, who invited Pope Francis to visit Belarus? Is it Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslav and Patriarch Exarch of All Belarus Venyamin (Tupeco), or is it an invitation from the Moscow Patriarchate, which is more difficult to believe?
Until we have an answer to this question, we are free to conclude that it is unequivocally an attempt to cooperate with state and church authorities, which is not allowed in any secular society. This kind of prohibition is precisely defined by both state and church-canonical regulations. Unfortunately, examples of church-state cooperation find suitable ground in those local Autocephalous Orthodox churches, in which ecumenism and papism spread as an infectious disease, and from which many church dignitaries fell ill. There are many such examples, both in small and large Autocephalous Orthodox churches!
For this reason, we have repeatedly pointed out the need to in all local Autocephalous Orthodox churches, a public call is made for the isolation of all spiritually ill bishops (patriarchs, archbishops, Metropolitans, bishops, etc.) for the survival of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church – our only Orthodox Church, which is existentially threatened in today's time, more than ever. before in its long history.
One of the most blatant examples of church-state cooperation, which affected all believers in Serbia, was the news that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SoC) as a Mother-Church agrees with the granting of autocephaly to the so-called Macedonian Orthodox Church, and that 05. July 2022. patriarch Porfirije presented Tomos in the Cathedral Church in Belgrade, Metropolitan Stefan as archbishop of the" Orthodox Macedonian Church – Ohrid Archbishopric " and Metropolitan of Skopje.
The reason for such a procedure is completely unknown and incomprehensible, by which numerous cultural and spiritual heritage of Serbian rulers Nemanjić, Mrnjavčević, Branković and others, as well as cemeteries where the bones of the greatest Serbian heroes and heroes lie, who gave their lives for the defense of southern Serbia and the Serbian national issue in its entirety, are placed in the hands of those who are on the ideology communism created a titoist-communist-atheist-secular creation, based on anti-Serbdom, using the name of Greek Macedonia, which was Hellenic for 3000 years and will remain so until the end of the world.
The most eloquent answer to this was given by one of the greatest Serbian canonologist historians and scientific advisor of the Historical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and arts, Prof. Dr Miodrag M. Petrović, on the portal State of affairs, 12. February 2024. year, under the title: Autocephaly of the " Macedonian Orthodox Church-Archbishopric of Ohrid“ as a non-canonical product of church-state cooperation:
„…Bishop Irinej of Backa with the help of patriarch Porfirije acts similarly to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. They break with the Tomos of autocephaly the unity and conciliarity of the Orthodox Church."
"...The fatal consequences of Tomos on autocephaly to the' Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric ' Bishop Irinej of Backa (Bulovic) is trying to present as something that is good and useful. In connection with this, his article was published in the list Orthodoxos tipos no. 2407 from 1. July 2022. years, P. 1. and 6. Demagogically, preachingly, but also untruthfully, in the name of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he endeavours in vain to justify the Tomos of autocephaly. He did the same in an interview. Seal - list of free Serbia, BR. 744 out of 30. December 2022. years (pp. 7-16): ‘The church saved, not sold and handed over its nemanjić shrines’. There he says that the ‘Nemanjic shrines’ were given to the Macedonian Church ‘for use’, which is worthy of laughter. How many prosecutions and untruths there are in the above articles (in Serbian and Greek) can be seen in the above article of mine. Harmful Tomos about autocephaly (in Greek and Greek). He endeavours, on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Porfirije, who is his spiritual child, to authoritatively impose his "truth" on the public. In order for the Greeks, who are not naive, to believe the story, at the end of the article he refers to John 8: 32: ‘you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’. He tells them that what he writes is true.“
As we can see from the above text by Prof. Dr. Miodrag M. Petrović, the text of the bishop of Backa Dr. Irinej Bulović abounds with narcissism and attempts at manipulation. By the way, in Serbian Church and social circles, Bishop Irinej Bulovic of Backa is considered a man who has been and remains close to every government in the last 30 years. In other words, a true promoter of church-state cooperation.
Despite such negative allegations, let us recall the example of the great Serbian Patriarch German (1958-1990) who is 5. May 1967. in the year when he was put under unbearable pressure by the communist president of the Executive Council of Serbia, Drago Stamenkovic, to so-called. The Macedonian Orthodox Church is granted autocephaly, which patriarch German strongly opposed, saying:" by this act you ask us to commit suicide " (Sin. no. 1785, 17. May 1967; Slijepčević, Macedonian Church question, 76-77). That is why history has remembered patriarch German as one of the greatest Serbian patriarchs who was on the throne of St. Sava.
Another striking example of church-state cooperation is the moment when it is 2023. the present head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, became a member of the State Institution i.e. The Council of the regulatory authority for electronic media (rem)! To make the shame and shame bigger and to everyone's amazement, then Porfirije signed the agreement for reality programs in Serbia to be broadcast 24 hours a day!!! This was reacted to by the then member of REM Judita Popovic, who refused to vote for such a decision, and on that occasion said: "I was then left alone in REM. I tried to go out in public to prevent such bad decisions from being made. The media scene is collapsing and has become an extended hand of power" (daily newspaper danas, 04.07.2023).
Such a form of church-state cooperation is the grossest way to violate the order of church canons that most strongly sanction such actions. In this regard, we cite two Apostolic rules, and that:
Apostolic Rule 6. it reads: "Let not a bishop or Presbyter or deacon take upon himself worldly affairs; otherwise let him be overthrown."
Apostolic rule 81. it reads: "We said that the bishop or Presbyter should not be given to public administration, but should deal only with the needs of the church. Therefore, let him take refuge either not to do this or be overthrown, for by the commandment of the Lord: no one can serve two Masters. (Matthew 6: 24)", as well as other church canons.
In conclusion, we point out that the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, as the president of a state with a majority Orthodox population, but also anyone else who dares to take a similar step and invite the bishop of Rome to visit his country, must bear in mind that the Roman Catholic Church is a schismatic and heretical church community, which has adopted numerous novelties and she was permanently removed from one of our, The Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which rests on the Apostolic rules, the decisions of the Ecumenical and local councils and the teachings of all the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Also, it is necessary to bear in mind the basic fact, which is that faith, for the most part, represents one of the three pillars of each national identity (faith, language, cultural and spiritual heritage). Consequently, anyone who follows ecumenical, papist, or even church-state tendencies must know that their own people are risking permanent loss of identity, and thus its survival.
Pope Francis visited one of Italy's largest Rebibia prisons, where he opened the "Holy Door" in honor of the Catholic Church's 2025 anniversary. The Guardian (The Guardian)
Source: Center for Geostrategic Studies
29. December 2024.
