The leading article, written by Jennifer Kennedy, and comparing the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, was published on Page 34 of The Times of the above date. It contains many factual mistakes (there are 16, not 17, Local Orthodox Churches, and the Russian Orthodox Church has for the moment 145 million members, not 95 million). It also contains much Russophobic propaganda and disinformation (the absurd description of an ‘all-out invasion of the Ukraine’ by Russia and the non-existent Russian backing of the Non-EU and highly popular candidate for President of Romania) and other ridiculous tropes. These have been as usual reproduced and paid for on State orders by Western propaganda mouthpieces, such as The Times.

However, the article is correct in its description of those who in England left the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for the Romanian Orthodox Church (ourselves) – 12 clergy and 5,000 people. However, this took place nearly four years ago and not because of the new Cathedral in Bucharest. Moreover, none of this was at all because of disillusionment, but because of our persecution by the Russian Church authorities, a persecution for resisting schism. This was carried out by a local bishop, despite the warnings of Patriarch Kyrill not to pursue this persecution, and the lies and slanders that followed.

And there is no rivalry between the Russian and Romanian Churches; the new Cathedral of the People’s Salvation in Bucharest is a monument to the triumph of Christ over the dictatorships of both Fascism and Communism which Romania suffered in the last century. Nevertheless, the article is correct in asserting that certain leading bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church have tried to fuse Orthodoxy with Russian nationalism. And this did indeed alienate millions of lifelong Orthodox, Ukrainians, Moldovans, English, French and many others, including even some well-known Russians. They fused the spiritual with crude nationalism at their peril and they are now reaping its bitter fruits, which have so discredited the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church. The once Persecuted Church has indeed become a Persecuting Church.