By Fr. Panagiotis Kapodistrias
Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne
Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne
The confrontation between Russia and the Ecumenical Patriarchate is not a temporary phenomenon, nor can it be explained simply through theological differences. At its core lies a deep ideological and geopolitical conflict that has taken shape over centuries and has reached its peak in recent years. The Russian concept of the “Third Rome” constitutes the cornerstone of this tension. The Russian Church, and by extension the Russian state, regards Moscow as the natural successor to Constantinople and the spiritual guide of the Orthodox world. This unhistorical and unfounded view leaves no room for recognizing Constantinople as the canonical and spiritual center of Orthodoxy.
Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill reinforce this mindset in a manner that goes beyond the bounds of religiosity and fully enters the realm of state ideology. The Russian Church functions as an ideological arm of the state, providing metaphysical legitimacy to political and military actions. Patriarch Bartholomew, through his words and stance, stands in opposition to this approach. He upholds the spiritual independence of the Church, rejects its instrumentalization by the state, and defends synodality and canonical order.
The granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Church in 2018 was the straw that broke the camel’s back. On the one hand, this act restored a people’s right to ecclesiastical self-governance; on the other, it directly affected Moscow’s interests, which until then had regarded Ukraine as its “ecclesiastical territory.” Russia viewed this action as a threat — not only spiritual but also geopolitical. The tension escalated with the Russian Church’s severance of communion with the Phanar and with a fierce propaganda campaign aimed at delegitimizing the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Patriarch Bartholomew, through his clear stance against the war in Ukraine, his defense of peace, and his consistent position in favor of Orthodox unity, emerges as a disruptive factor for the Russian narrative. His international recognition, his relations with other Christian denominations, and his adherence to canonical order strengthen his standing on a global level — and this provokes a reaction. Russia systematically seeks to portray him as an “instrument of the West,” with the aim of weakening his influence within the Orthodox world.
The hostility toward the Ecumenical Patriarchate is by no means the result of personal differences, but rather a deliberate strategy of dismantling. Through it, resourceful Russia attempts to promote its own hegemony in Orthodoxy, using every means — theological, propagandistic, geopolitical. The Phanar, with its historic and enduring course, its uninterrupted spiritual contribution, and its independence, constitutes an obstacle to this ambition.
The rivalry persists on unequal terms. On the one side stand power and authority; on the other, spiritual authenticity. What provokes Russian hostility is the resilience and influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, even without a state apparatus. And as long as this influence endures, the Phanar will continue to trouble those who view the Church as a tool of politics.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
