Christianity has split many times over the centuries, with numerous new denominations arising. Many of you are familiar with the Great Schism of 1054 that split Christianity into Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Now, it seems like it's going to happen again, this time between Russia and Ukraine.
I think we all know how Ukraine and Russia are at odds with each other as Ukraine tries to extinguish its ties to Russia. It has a good reason, after the USSR and all of Russia' current claims and seizures to Ukrainian territory. But a big factor that many do not recognize is the church. Ukrainians and Russians are Orthodox. Just about 70% of people in Ukraine identify as Orthodox, yet its split in three. One of those branches is under the patriarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Tomorrow on Saturday, officials from the three branches will meet and decide on the new Ukraine Orthodox Church, in the ultimate power move against Russia.
Russia obviously is not pleased. They are spewing propaganda through the Russian Orthodox presence in Ukraine, and now say that this move is "an attack on freedom of religion" and similar quotes. This is alarming for Russia and can be seen as when the USSR disintegrated decades ago.
So what's the significance? Ukraine is moving toward more autonomy and is expressing its desire to distance itself from overbearing Russia that keeps on trying to influence Ukraine along with other countries and try to annex and expand as much as it can.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukraine-moves-create-its-own-orthodox-church-out-russia-s-n947451
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