BELGIUM: Belgium goes on financing the Russian Orthodox Church despite the war in Ukraine
By Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers
HRWF (19.09.2024) – Despite the weaponizing of the Russian Orthodox Church/ Moscow Patriarchate by President Vladimir Putin in his war against Ukraine, Belgium silently continues to finance the Russian Orthodox Church.
Belgium finances a number of state-recognized religions and Orthodoxy has been one of them since 1985. A wide range of Orthodox Churches are present on the Belgian territory and the Russian Orthodox Church is one of them.
The Russian Orthodox Church in Belgium (ROC/ Belgium) is fully associated with the Moscow Patriarchate which has endorsed Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and has called his “special operation” a “holy war.”
While Patriarch Kirill in Moscow was blessing the war and encouraging Russian citizens to express their patriotism by joining the army, the ROC in Belgium kept silent about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, about the crimes against humanity perpetrated in Bucha and other places, about the deportation of Ukrainian children in Russia and many other war crimes.
However, in June last, high-level clerics of the ROC in Belgium were invited to and participated in the celebration of Russia’s Day at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Brussels: the rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Brussels, priest Adrian Alaoui and his wife; the rector of the Sainte-Juste-Anne church in Laaken (Brussels), the priest Andrei Popa and his wife; the cleric of Saint-Nicolas Cathedral in Brussels, priest Alexandre Motorny; priest Andrey Krayushkin, cleric of the Holy Trinity Church in Brussels, and his wife; The secretary of the Belgian diocese, Archpriest Pavel Nedosekin, with his wife. One can imagine the content of the official speeches in Russia’s embassy.
On this occasion, an article and photos were posted on the website of the ROC in Belgium.
It seems Belgium prefers to turn a blind eye to this situation and to silently go on financing the ROC in Belgium despite Brussels being a strategic place with all its international organizations.
Deweaponizing the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe, a security issue
In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in communion with the Patriarchate of Moscow is persona non grata and is on the verge of being banned.
In EU countries, the presence of Orthodox Churches subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church/ Moscow Patriarchate has raised national security concerns because in a number of cases they were suspected or accused of serving as relays for Putin’s propaganda or Russia’s spying activities. Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden and Ukraine have taken various measures to anticipate or tackle security risks, including with the assistance of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Russian Orthodox Church in Norway is also under close scrutiny because it has acquired properties next to military bases. Voices were recently raised to put an end to the state financing to the ROC in Norway perceived as a threat for the security of the country.
According to cadastral data, the ROC bought in 2017 a building in the town of Sherrey (Bergen community), located on a hill three kilometers away from Haakonsvern, which offers a view onto the main base of the Royal Norwegian Navy and the largest naval base in the Nordic area. Before the acquisition of this house, the religious community was located in the city center.
In the town of Stavanger, the former priest of the local community of the Russian Orthodox Church has a property near the NATO Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) in Jatta, according to Dagbladet. It is located just one kilometer away from an important military building, about fifteen minutes’ walk. That NATO Centre celebrated its 20th anniversary during a formal ceremony on 26 October 2023. Over the last two decades, the JWC has planned and delivered more than 100 exercises and training events and ensure that NATO’s commanders and their staffs are well-prepared and ready to respond to any mission, whenever and wherever the call may come.
Archbishop Simon (Vladimir Nikolaevich Ishunin) of the ROC in Brussels
On the website of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, Archbishop Simon (Vladimir Nikolaevich Ishunin) is presented as follows with his picture:
“He was born on December 7, 1951 in Leningrad in the family of a priest. After graduating from high school in 1970, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary. In 1970-72 he served in the ranks of the Soviet army, after demobilization he continued his studies in the LDS.
On January 17, 1975, he was tonsured to monasticism. On January 19, he was ordained a hierodeacon. In the same year, he entered the Leningrad Theological Academy.
On June 13, 1976, he was ordained a hieromonk.
In 1975-78, he obeieded the secretary of the Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Nikodim (Rotov).
Since 1978, he has been obedicing the assistant inspector of the LDAiS. After graduating from the LDA in 1979, he taught the history of the Russian Church at the seminary. In 1981 he defended his PhD thesis.
In 1981-82, he served in the Novo-Valaam Monastery in Finland.
In 1982, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, appointed rector of the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral in Petrozavodsk and dean of the churches of the Olonets Diocese.
On April 11, 1987, in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, he was consecrated Bishop of Brussels and Belgium.
In September 1991, he was appointed temporary governor of the Hague and Dutch Diocese.
In 1994, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
By the decision of the Holy Synod of December 28, 2017 (journal № 116) he was released from the temporary administration of the Hague-Netherlands Diocese.
Education:
Leningrad Theological Seminary.
1979 — Leningrad Theological Academy.
Diocese:Brussels-Belgian Diocese
(Ruling bishop)
Awards:
- 2008 – Order of the Blgv. Daniel of Moscow II st. ;
- 2011 – Order of Prp. Seraphim of Sarov II st. ;
- 2012 – Order of Equal Ap. Mary Magdalene II st. (Polish Orthodox Church);
- 2015 – Order of St. Innocent of Moscow II st. ;
- 2021 – Order of the Blgv. Alexander Nevsky III st. ;
- Order of Prp. Sergius of Radonezh II st.”
Islamic security threat and Russian Orthodox Church threat, double standards
Since the beginning of this century, Muslim organizations in Belgium have been under close surveillance due to national security risks.
In light of security threats attributed to the Russian Orthodox Church/ Moscow Patriarchate in an increasing number of European countries, the Belgian state has chosen to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. Should it go on financing the ROC in Belgium which is fully subordinated to the Patriarchate of Moscow and did not disagree with Kirill’s support to Putin’s war on Ukraine? A public debate is however urgently needed.
Simon, Archbishop of Brussels and Belgium
Strongly recommended reading:
Wolf in sheep’s clothing? The two faces of the Russian Orthodox Church (EU Observer, 19.09.2024)