Towards autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine: trend or unique situation? Comparison with Latvia

Following the annexation of Crimea and the military conflict in eastern Ukraine, relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated, including the area of the Orthodox church. Until now, the only recognized Orthodox church in Ukraine was the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in early 2019, the Patriarchate of Constantinople granted autocephaly or independence to new Orthodox Church of Ukraine, thus officially recognizing it. The annexation of Crimea and the military conflict in eastern Ukraine led Latvia also to review its relations with Russia, including the area of the Orthodox Church. For example, starting from summer 2019, the head of the Latvian Orthodox Church, which is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow, metropolitans and bishops must be Latvian citizens who have lived in Latvia for the last 10 years. In addition, at the end of the year, the “Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church in the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople” was registered – a structure parallel to the Latvian Orthodox Church. Considering that Latvia and Ukraine are in the sphere of Russian foreign policy interests, that both countries are subject to Russian compatriot policy, that both countries have a large number of parishioners of the Orthodox Churches under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow, it was decided to examine whether granting autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is a unique situation, or it is also possible in Latvia. Within the framework of this article, the preconditions that led to the establishment of the autocephalous church in Ukraine were clarified, as well as it was examined whether such preconditions exist in Latvia. It was concluded that the necessary condition for the establishment of an autocephalous church in Ukraine is the historical basis, in particular, the independence of the Ukrainian Church before transferring of the Kiev Metropolitanate to the Moscow Patriarchate in 1686, while the sufficient condition is the tendency of then-President Petro Poroshenko to legitimize power. Such preconditions do not exist in Latvia