“We are witnessing the beginning of an implosion of the Moscow Patriarchate, even in countries historically linked to the Russian Orthodox Church,” says Antoine Nivière, author and professor of Russian history, religion, and culture at the University of Lorraine (France).
He says this is largely due to Patriarch Kirill’s staunch support of Vladimir Putin and the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Since the start of the war in Ukraine, despite the iron grip he maintains on his clergy in Russia, Kirill is losing ground across the board,” Nivière claims. “Could this lead to the emergence of new Orthodox Churches completely emancipated from Moscow in Eastern Europe? It’s hard to say at the moment, as the process is just beginning,” he adds.
Antoine Nivière said: “We are witnessing the be-ginning of an implosion of the Moscow Patriarchate, even in countries historically linked to the Russian Church. The bishops of Ukraine, who remained obedient to Moscow until 2022, have proclaimed their independence. The Church in Latvia has also done so, while the diocese of Lithuania wavers, as does Estonia’s.”
Kirill’s “authority is eroding, even as he displays loyalty and fidelity to their power.
Since becoming Patriarch in 2019, Kirill has supported ultra-nationalist and anti-Western positions. He is on the official line, so he probably won’t be sidelined, at least not immediately. But he risks leaving behind a greatly weakened and widely dis-credited Russian Church–both abroad and at home.”