Християнство.бг
Operation “Steam in the Whistle” or How Anthony Pakanich Appointed Himself an “Opposition”[1]
October 13, 09:16
Author: Alexander Sagan
I was compelled to write this text by a statement made by one of the clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, who wrote something like: “I am happy to be in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate because it is the most democratic church in the world—only here are such discussions possible.”
And what is the discussion about? Probably something about the second marriage of priests, which has long been practiced in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate? No—about autocephaly!
That is, a topic that has been the subject of discussion for centuries in all Orthodox churches, except for the Moscow one, where the autocephaly that was established by the decision of the Moscow (Golden Horde) prince finally cracked through the centuries-old wall and reached the heads of the clergy of the UOC-MP. The “shackles have fallen,” and it is finally possible to talk democratically about “autocephaly”—because previously only “schismatics” and “autocephalists” could talk about it democratically.
And who is at the head of our opposition?
Yes, the faithful son of Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich, who, after “irreconcilable” discussions with his boss, goes to his church services, where they then discuss further “uncompromising battles” over church canons over tea.
In the language of the secret services, this is called a “controlled opposition” (so that an “uncontrolled” one would not suddenly appear).
In common parlance, it is put more simply: “If you can’t stop the bout, you have to lead it.”
That is, into fierce opposition and confrontation with the “pro-Russian party” in the UOC-MP, led by one of the most influential “gray cardinals.”
That is, the Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary of the UOC-MP, Archbishop Silvestr Stoychev, has entered into fierce opposition and confrontation with the “pro-Russian party” in the UOC-MP, which is headed by one of the most influential “gray cardinals” and the administrator of this church, Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich of Boryspil. Today, he plays the role of an “uncompromising oppositionist” and head of the “pro-autocephalous (but note, not pro-Ukrainian) party in the UOC-MP.”
To understand the close, long-standing relationship between Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich and Archbishop Silvestr Stoychev, one need only look at the latter’s official biography. It is clear to the naked eye that Archbishop Silvestr is a creature and protégé of Metropolitan Anthony and his long-time closest and most loyal assistant.
According to his official biography, the future Archbishop Silvestr Stoychev was born (in 1980) and lived in Odessa. He graduated from the Odessa Theological Seminary of the MP (1998–2002). In 2005, he was sent from the Odessa Diocese of the MP to study at the Moscow Theological Academy, where he quickly gained the favor of the church leadership closely associated with the FSB—so much so that he, being still an undergraduate, was entrusted with teaching at the Faculty of Psychology at the Russian Orthodox University of St. John the Theologian (2006–2007).
Whether he had Russian citizenship during those years remains an open question…
After graduating from the Moscow Theological Academy, he was sent from Moscow to the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary (KDAiS), belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The then newly appointed Rector, Antoniy Pakanich (also sent to Kyiv from the Moscow Theological Academy of the ROC—I wrote about this in detail at the time), immediately hired Oleksandr Stoychev as a lecturer.
Another interesting fact is that the green graduate of the Moscow Academy immediately became the Assistant-Rector and editor-in-chief (!!!) of the official website of the KDAiS and the KDAiS magazine Akademicheskiy Letopisets (in the original – Академический летописец).
At the same time, he served as a novice and subdeacon to Bishop Anthony Pakanich.
In other words, the letters of recommendation from Moscow were so serious that Pakanich, it seems, simply had no choice. It was as if his closest relative, his spiritual brother, had arrived…
On April 2, 2009, the young novice Alexander Stoychev was tonsured a monk with the name Silvestr by Archbishop Anthony Pakanich, and on May 21 of the same year, he was ordained a hieromonk by the same Anthony Pakanich.
In 2013, the rector of the KDAiS, Archbishop Anthony Pakanich, appointed Father Silvestr Stoichev as his deputy – Vice-Rector for educational and methodological work at the KDAiS. And on October 23, 2014, at the recommendation of Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich, he was included in one of the governing bodies of the Moscow Patriarchate – the Inter-Council Presence of the Moscow Patriarchate (it was time to return to the Moscow church circle).[2]
Already on December 21, 2017 (almost immediately after returning from the Council of Bishops in Moscow), Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich submitted a proposal for the 37-year-old Father Silvestr Stoichev to be elected Bishop of Belogorod, Vicar of the Kyiv metropolitan see, and Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The appointment to the position of Rector of the Theological Academy was made with the personal insistence of Anthony Pakanich. The Metropolitan’s logic is understandable – he needed to put his loyal man in the position of Rector in order to continue to control the leading educational institution of the UOC-MP.
On December 8, 2020, at the suggestion of Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich, Bishop Silvestr Stoychev became a member of the Commission on Theological Education of the Inter-Council Presence of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Throughout his entire period of work at the UOC-MP’s Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, Bishop Silvestr Stoychev has always been the most devoted supporter and assistant to his patron and curator, Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich, who, in fact (and many write about this), continues to manage the affairs of this educational institution personally.
So, how seriously can Archbishop Silvestr be taken as the new “leader of the pro-autocephalous party,” or the recent controversy on Facebook on the topic of autocephaly between the leader of the “pro-Russian party” and the administrator of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Anthony Pakanich—and his protégé?
Given their long-standing close ties and even Archbishop Silvestr’s dependence on Metropolitan Anthony, this strange “controversy” looks very much like a pre-arranged performance staged for the outside audience (the authorities and society) to distract attention.
One constantly gets the feeling that two heads are arguing, but they share one body. And their feathers are puffed up.
Does this remind you of anything?
P.S. Inspired by comments.
Yes, people change. And that’s good, if the changes are for the better.
Even relationships between people change. That’s natural too.
But…
During the rectorship of Bishop Silvestr Stoichev, the KDAiS was attended by such odious pro-Russian figures as Vadim Novinsky, Oleksiy Pertin, and Serhiy Trofimov.[3] These “students” financially supported the educational institution and its leadership.
Andriy Derkach, a resident of the GRU of the Supreme Command of the Russian Federation and the FSB, was an associate professor at the KDAiS. With the start of the full-scale war, he fled to Russia and became a senator and member of the Security and Defense Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. He was a “specialist” in “State-Church Relations” (that was the name of his course at the KDAiS). While he was a resident, he simply “taught,” that is, he obviously took a break from his residency work at the KDAiS, right?
We can also mention the “vata”[4] clergyman of the KDAiS and the head of the academy’s correspondence department, associate professor Archimandrite Markel Pavuk…
So, the KDAiS is indeed the “autocephalous center” of the UOC-MP.
As if…
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Translated by: Slava Yanakieva
[1] Translated from https://risu.ua/operaciya-para-u-svistok-abo-yak-antonij-pakanich-priznachiv-sobi-opoziciyu_n159473
The following is a semi-machine translation of the original text, with select sections removed for the sake of brevity. Notes are mine. „All steam in the whistle“ is another way of saying that everything is just for show without any useful action.
[2] In February and March 2014, Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, and annexed it. Therefore, all this is happening after the annexation of Crimea.
[3] All three are pro-Russian oligarchs.
[4] „Вата“ is pejorative for pro-Russian propagandist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatnik
