southfront--2020-08-01--Ex-Vatican Advisor Exposes The Rise Of Neo-Nazism Among Uniates And The Vatican’s Apathetic Doublesp

Ex-Vatican Advisor Exposes The Rise Of Neo-Nazism Among Uniates And The Vatican’s Apathetic Doublespeak

A video of one of the Uniates have attacked Orthodox Christians and seized Churches , in October of 2017 .
These sorts of attacks never make it into the anti-Orthodox Western media , and are swept under the rug .
—I don ’ t think he cares very much .
I think this Roman Pontiff is fixated on other issues , especially which concern today ’ s Latin America .
He ’ s very involved now with this Amazonian Synod , which is , extremely suspect because of its syncretistic aspects , and I don ’ t think he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —Including apparently the suffering of people whom he tries to call “ brothers ” ?
That is disastrous , even from the point of view of ecclesiastical diplomacy .
But , he does not seem to be a very intellectual pope , if I may say .
—Also , in the not so distant past , many Galician Uniates supported Nazi Germany during the Second World War .
We already talked about the Bandera movement among the emigration in London prior to this .
So , would you say that sympathy for Nazism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniates of the 1930s , 40s , and onward ?
—Well , during the 1930s , among the Ukrainian Uniates , animus was directed mostly against the Poles and the Jews .
It was a fascist movement , but at the time , I would not say they were… well… there were ties with the Germans .
There were ties , and the movements were similar , but they were still distinct .
It was not until the Germans invaded Galicia that… What completely turned the Galicians into rabid let ’ s say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous occupation of Galicia by the Red Army .
—You are talking about the Soviet Invasion of Poland , around the time the Nazis also invaded Poland , in the fall of 1939—when the godless authorities occupied Galicia ?
—Yes .
The Red Army had occupied Galicia , then they retreated after the Germans attacked the Soviets , then the Germans occupied Galicia , and then once again the Red Army came .
So , it was the first occupation of Galicia by the Red Army , especially by Jews , who occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual elite among the Uniate Ukrainians at the time .
—Ah yes .
So , it was the Jewish Soviet godless officials who persecuted Galicians , and this is what made Western Ukrainians perhaps so Russphobic ?
Or just Anti-Soviet ?
Is there a difference ?
—For the Galicians , to be Russian at the time was to be Communist .
—Quite sad considering that the founding First Hierarch of ROCOR was the Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia , and we have a very “ Ukrainian ” character , to all the jurisdictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also .
Many figures , perhaps even the bulk of our American “ Russian ” Orthodoxy , came from what is now the Ukraine .
So , it ’ s quite sad that there is this confusion there .
In Lvov at one time there were more Russophiles than in Saint Petersburg !
—Well of course , yes !
—In 1988 , underground Uniate Bishops Pavel Vasylyk and Philemon Kurchaba met with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli .
On February 1 , 1990 , Archbishop Lazar ( Shvets ’ ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting of Russian bishops one of those underground Catholic bishops : “ Orthodoxy does not have a place in Western Ukraine ; they must resettle in the eastern regions .
We will create here a Catholic Ukrainian Republic.
” This was preserved in Russian State Archives .
So , were the Uniates receiving or expecting support from the Vatican on this ?
Or were they acting on their own ?
—They were acting on their own .
But they have done so consistently , since the time of Andrey Sheptytsky—and that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always projected this missionary impulse towards what they call “ the East ” .
Uniate Metropolitan of Galicia Andrey Sheptytsky , lived 1892-1944.—And perhaps this relates to building that very ugly building on the other [ east ] side of the Dnipro , which mars the view anytime I want to relax in Kiev… —Yes , but what about their diocese or eparchies , which they have opened in places like Kharkov , where the Uniate population is completely minimal ?
They do not realize an important fact—that the Ukrainian nation is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has never been a Catholic nation .
Catholics are five percent of the population !
—I understand ; we had talked before about how you were a Catholic essentially by chance or circumstance , due to your parent ’ s compromise between the Orthodoxy of your mother and Protestantism of your father , but in your heart , you always felt Orthodox .
—And I can feel that .
It seems quite obvious .
So , then , here ’ s the rather interesting question : How much control does the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Church , currently led by Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk ?
—Well , let us say he can not really .
As I said before , he consistently makes moves to befuddle any sort of positive development between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church .
But let us say , he must do it in a rather , well… You see , Shevchuk is a rather strange person .
Even other bishops and the clergy say that he ’ s quite prone to hysterical outburst and tantrums .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a nationalist of course , but very much aware of his own importance .
Of course , he can not be completely disobedient to the Vatican ; that would be scandalous .
But today , after the Vatican Council , bishops are known to be quite disobedient to the Curia in the Vatican .
Now , you do know that the Curia and the Vatican has never accepted him as Patriarch ?
All the posts that are sent to him are addressed to him as “ Major Archbishop ” —and yet he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
I don ’ t think he replies that way to the Vatican directly , but to his faithful , he does .
And there was even talk of him protesting against that fact—that they send posts to him addressed as Major Archbishop and not as Patriarch .
—Then to summarize , would you be saying then that the Vatican does not really hold much influence over Shevchuk ?
—Not really .
Especially not in his public pronouncements .
—In 1988 , the Russian Orthodox Church possessed 8,500 parishes and 20 monasteries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were located in Ukraine .
In 1990 , there were reported to be 2639 Orthodox parishes in Galicia .
Between 1990 and 1997 the Greek Catholics seized around 2000 churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
Uniates have been among the most active in Ukraine .
of a Uniate priest literally calling for “ terror and assassination ” against their enemies , as well as many Uniate priests serving funerals for member of the SS Galicia Division and their neo-Fascists decedents .
 A Uniate priest serving at a Nazi-styled funeral .
Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uniate Chaplain Nikolai Medinsky assaulted believers while seizing a church in October 2017 , and he was forcefully shoving aside elderly women , calling the people Moscow pigs , lifeless biomass , and not even human .
These are just some common examples of assaults and persecution committed by Uniate leaders , which raises several questions .
Firstly , seeing that these videos are available to anyone on the internet , is it right to say that the Vatican and Uniate Hierarchs are fully aware of these crimes committed by their clergy ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , but it is just quite difficult for me to understand how these assaults from Nazis in broad daylight are available on YouTube .
Are the hierarchs just not aware of this , or… —I ’ m sure they share those sentiments .
Uniate “ Priest ” Nikolai Medinsky in Kolomyya demonstrating how strong a man he is by shoving aside elderly women and stealing their churches .
Photo taken from a video by the Union of Orthodox Journalists .
—The Uniate leaders of course share them , but what about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t think many of the higher clergy in the Vatican are even informed about those things .
—So , they can just ignore what ’ s happening there ?
—Remember that usually the worst things are happening in isolated villages , and so many of them in the Vatican are poorly informed , and to some degree , informed by the Uniates themselves , who don ’ t speak of those things to the Vatican .
—So , you think none of this persecution is making it to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of it is , but not all of it .
The Vatican usually denies most of that , and denies most of the takeovers of the churches , and says that the Orthodox are also aggressive , etc .
—So , how does that affect the relations the Vatican is trying to build with the Russian Church ?
On the one hand , they come and shake hands with us and say they are our friends , while on the other hand , they just deny that anyone is seizing our churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And certainly , there are some individuals , who can tell them .
You mentioned for example the Ukrainian Orthodox priests who studied in Rome .
Don ’ t they inform the Vatican ?
It seems to me they ’ ve had enough opportunities and possibilities to find out what ’ s happening .
—The students really have very little opportunity , except for one , to come into contact with cardinals or members of the curia who would be influential in such issues .
—And so why is there no outcry ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ why isn ’ t he suspending these priests ?
—To the contrary—Shevchuk is not suspending those priests , but his predecessor Liubomyr Huzar was suspending and defrocking priests who proclaimed themselves , traditional Uniates .
There is a movement among the Uniates of traditional Uniatism .
Did you know that exists ?
The Uniate so-called “ Patriarchal Cathedral ” interior , a modernistic style championed by deceased Uniate leader Huzar , which is a break from both traditional Orthodox and Catholic styles of architecture .
Huzar championed a very modernistic style throughout North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a movement among the Uniates , a group of Uniates who reject all of the Byzantine accretions to the liturgy that were imposed after the Uniate Church in Ukraine became free .
They want to celebrate with all of the Latinizations , ( things like Bishops with gloves , and all those accretions that they had in the nineteenth century ) ; and those priests were quite violently opposed to Huzar , Shevchuk ’ s predecessor , who suspended and I think even defrocked some of them .
Then there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were interested in quasi-charismatic exorcism phenomena , and that also created quite a stir among the Uniates .
And I believe these problems concern the curia of Shevchuk much more then violent displays of nationalism .
He himself is a violent nationalist .
—So , when we see for “ death to the enemies ” , [ or Mikhaylo Arsenych ] , obviously this is beyond any scholastic debate ; it is anti-Christian devilry .
So why doesn ’ t Shevchuk do anything about this ?
Doesn ’ t he even feel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for PR reasons that he shouldn ’ t appear openly as a Nazi ?
—Well .
I don ’ t think he cares very much .
—But I have another example for you .
You remember I told you about that bishop in England ; do you know what eventually happened to him ?
—Yes , do you know what eventually happened to him ?
—Let me tell you what eventually happened to him .
He defended the Vatican , and what is known as the Oriental Congregation , to the hilt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , for whatever reasons , good or bad , but he defended them !
He defended them , and eventually he lost almost all his parishioners [ to Slipyj ] .
And at that time , the Pope was John Paul II , who rather appreciated that Slipyj and that movement—not the nationalistic movement , as John Paul II was Polish and the Poles are against Ukrainian nationalism—but let ’ s say he was more tolerant of them ; and during his pontificate , everything seemed to be forgiven—all the abuses that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the diaspora .
Because what had been happening in England is that instead of going to the churches , these Uniate Banderite sort of nationalists were gathering in the Ukrainian clubs , which were really taverns , and having suspended priests—suspended priests !
—come from Rome to celebrate for them .
They were having these masses in the clubs .
And of course , the Bishop in England , Hornyak , was completely against that ; he said they were all suspended priests , and was defending the Oriental Congregation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul II , after the reopening of the Uniate church in Ukraine , somehow all was forgiven , and those priests were reinstated .
Pope John Paull II with Cardinal Josyf Slipyj at the episcopal consecration of Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky , Dec. 11 , 1979 .
Somehow one of them , a ringleader by the name of Ivan Muzychka , was made rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome .
Moreover several of the leading patriarchal clergy were given high positions in the hierarchy under John Paull II .
And what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and essentially demoted by the Oriental Congregation and sent into forced retirement , although he defended the Oriental Congregation for years !
Is that any way to behave , to treat him ?
—I shall tell you another story about why I became Orthodox , and why I did not stay in the Oriental Institute teaching Russian students .
You know we had a very famous Jesuit who taught liturgy in the Oriental Institute .
His name was Miguel Arranz ; he was a Spanish Jesuit , who belonged to the Roman Province @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making several trips to the Soviet Union .
He was a great friend of Metropolitan Nikodim ( Rotov ) , who gave him an honorary doctorate from the Leningrad Theological Academy .
Arranz taught liturgy at the Oriental Institute .
I have to say , he was a great friend of Orthodox bishops , he knew the patriarch very well .
But his last years were spent in a very lonely state .
He alienated himself from the Oriental Institute , and was in part alienated by the Jesuits in the institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care for him .
And he died very embittered and alone , in the Jesuit infirmary in Rome ; and he was not even given a Byzantine-rite divine liturgy for his funeral , because he died in the summer when the students of the Russicum were on vacation .
He was given an ordinary Latin , very quick mass .
He died very embittered , and I think he felt what very sorry that he had not made the move to Orthodoxy , as I later did .
I meditated very much about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want that to happen to me.
” I want to live my dream—to become Orthodox and to live in Russia , with Russian people .
I have always been much more able to understand Russians then I have Italians or Germans , or other Western Europeans .
It ’ s always been much easier for me .
And that was another reason I decided to leave Rome , and the teaching position .
—Rome didn ’ t have any issue with that ?
Well , their loss is our gain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate with me , of course .
And the Oriental Institute does not communicate with me .
I am a pariah , let ’ s say .
—Well , their loss is our gain , because as far as I am concerned , you came home .
—Yes .
I am very satisfied , I love Moscow , I love being here in the monastery , and I love the liturgies .
I love all the liturgies that go on here , and I love the choir , and how the liturgies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to be a complete Orthodox fanatic when I was a Catholic .
Wherever I was , I always visited Orthodox Churches .
But the Orthodox Churches in the emigration very often seemed to me to be lacking something , especially in the music—very bad choirs .
Except in Paris and a few other places .
—You should see the choir of St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland , Ohio .
My friend is the choir director there ; he was the former Choir Master of the Hierarchal Choir of Holy Dormition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He came to America a while ago for rather serious lung surgery—a double lung transplant .
But I am happy to report that he still sings magnificently , and never fails to amaze Hierarchs and visiting guests .
His choir at St. Sergius is just excellent ; his name is Father Serhii Chebotar .
—So , you know another one of my good friends then .
Wonderful .
You know , the Orthodox world , especially the clergy and families of clergy like my own , are all just a few steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one giant family .
We are so happy you came home to Orthodoxy !
The Catholic Church seems to be plagued these days… —Well the Catholic Church… I have one more thing to say about that , and about its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate .
During my last two or three years as a professor at the Oriental Institute , I visited the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy at the invitation of His Eminence , Archbishop Amvrosy , and I gave a talk there , after which I gave an interview .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I said that I believe the Catholics who are proselytizing in Russia do this against the will of the highest authorities in the Vatican , and the that Orthodox should not—in the opinion of the highest authorities of the Vatican—be proselytized to or made into Roman Catholics .
I said that , and it was published a few months later .
After having returned from Australia , I received a letter from the General of the Jesuit Order , and an attached letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the proselytizing to the Orthodox .
He also complained about my use of the terms for the Uniate movement , which were declared at Balamand—because I quoted —and also the term “ sister Church ” for the Russian Orthodox Church .
—So , they complained about your use [ of a declaration they themselves agreed to ] ?
They complained that you said the position of the leadership Catholic Church is to not try to convert Russians to Roman Catholicism ?
—Yes , they complained about my use of those terms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , those terms should not be used , and that it was not the doctrine of the Roman Church !
I said the term , “ sister Church ” should be used , there should be no proselytizing , and that the Orthodox should not become Roman Catholics !
And that was the policy of the Vatican !
And that was denied !
Denied by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith , or by their representative , and I had to apologize and write letters to the General of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doctrine of the Faith , who said that those were not the policies off the Roman Pontiff or the Vatican .
And this was during the time of Ratzinger ( Pope Benedict XVI ) , who was quite friendly to the Orthodox Churches .
So , I must say that in my opinion , there is a sort of doublespeak in the Vatican , constantly with regards to the Orthodox Churches .
It says one thing and does another !
It says one thing to someone , but says something completely contrary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when I wrote an article for La Civilta Cattolica , which is the official mouthpiece for the Catholic church in Italy—it is a Jesuit journal—and in that journal , I wrote something about the state of the Macedonian schism .
And I was rebuked by Cardinal Archbishop Colasuonno , who later on was official representative of the Holy See in Moscow , and told that : “ Even if what you wrote was true , it should not be written.
” Those were his exact words !
—That sounds like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really shows the attitude there .
—Shevchuk once said that the goal of the ecumenical movement is to create a single Ukrainian Patriarchate recognized by both Rome and Constantinople .
But based on this , I wonder how much of this translates to reality .
Would Rome or Constantinople be interested in this compromise ?
Shevchuk and Pat .
Bartholomew of Constantinople meeting in the Vatican —This is a ridiculous proposition , which dates from the time of Sheptytsky .
But it was just as ridiculous at the time of Sheptytsky , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be their patriarch , which was also a ridiculous idea , because there is a difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church , and they do not seem to realize that .
For the Roman Church , any Ukrainian Church , any united Ukrainian Church must be under the jurisdiction of the pope—there is no other way for the Roman Church .
No other way !
Rome might even be inclined to give way on such topics as the Filioque , but it is not inclined in any way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Papal Primacy .
Never on Papal Primacy !
—So , from a true Catholic perspective , there can be no church which isn ’ t under the pope , and from a true Orthodox perspective , there can never be a church [ i.e .
the entire universal church ] which is under the pope .
—So , it ’ s an impasse .
This whole movement certainly is ridiculous then .
One thing I seem to remember , especially given the current events , is that Patriarch Bartholomew studied at the Pontifical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time there ?
—Oh yes .
He gave a speech even in the Institute .
Now I have one comment to make about that , on something I recently heard on the Spas TV Station .
They were speaking about the fact that Bartholomew was a student of the Institute , and was influenced by Catholic Theology , and that was the reason why he was doing the things that he is now .
That is ridiculous .
—So , you don ’ t feel his actions are influenced by Catholic Theology ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not by Catholicism .
He is Anti-Catholic .
Bartholomew is , in the dogmatic sense of the word , anti-Catholic .
He spoke about the ontological differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism at Georgetown University , at which Catholics were scandalized , because they thought he was… well… All his ideas about being the “ ” are his own political ideas .
It ’ s true that Catholics would like him to become the , because then it would be easier for them to deal with the Orthodox Churches , because it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in that sense , it would be easier for them ; but that Bartholomew was influenced by Catholic theology is absolute nonsense .
In fact , I think during the time that he was studying in the Institute it was more likely that the Catholics were influenced by him .
—Thank you , I appreciate the perspective , because I often hear one side , but I have never heard this unique insight on the issue .
—He studied canon law .
It was at the time when there was no Uniate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been published , so he studied canon law—but canon law is not Theology .
I don ’ t even know if he took any courses in Theology there .
—So why , first of all , are there very many Orthodox clergy studying in the Oriental Institute—or are they mostly Eastern Catholics ?
—At one time there were very few , but then the communist countries opened and then there was a flood of students .
At one point there were many Ukrainians and Romanians .
They were not prepared to study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today there are fewer .
When I was studying there were almost equally Uniates and Orthodox , but Orthodox from many Churches .
There were some Serbs , there were many Romanians , there were Greeks , and there was a Bulgarian .
—So , what would motivate Orthodox clergy to study in theological institutions of a different faith ?
—The library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute is one of the best , if not the best library , on Eastern Christian studies in the world .
—I see , so archivism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the library , especially the library .
It is also for Greeks , I may say ; and I must make a negative comment , because many of the students did not use the library , and that was the most important thing .
—So , out of curiosity , what would happen in the institute when they discuss things like papal primacy , or the essence vs. energies dispute at the time of St. Gregory of Palamas ?
How are conflicting Orthodox and Catholic views handled ?
—On another topic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ openly homosexual media tycoon , a member of the GOARCH and a , sponsors a center for Orthodox-Catholic dialog at the Jesuit Loyola University in California .
There ’ s also the website Public Orthodoxy from Fordham University , which publishes and —for example , pro-homosexual content .
So , is there a lot of cooperation between Jesuit universities and Orthodox institutes ?
—In the United States , Jesuit universities really no longer exist .
All the Jesuit universities , with very few exceptions , are in the hands of lay people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the president is usually a Jesuit , but he has very little power .
Georgetown University , which had a very good academic program , is one of the most liberal universities , and was recently forbidden to use the name Catholic in its title because of its openness to homosexuals , lesbians , and the various sort of sexual perversities which go on in the West .
I don ’ t know very much about Loyola .
The only thing I know is that Kirill Hovorun is teaching there .
—Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” : Some schools within Orthodoxy apply the term , “ by the great theologian Father Georges Florovsky .
I always found it regrettable that some Orthodox people of what we could call a “ Pietistic ” trend , are allergic to anything perceived as Western—for example , even the Latin language itself .
Many Orthodox Saints used this language , and my “ favorite ” saint , Peter Mohyla , could even converse in Latin .
St. John of Shanghai highly venerated many ancient Western saints , and was extremely knowledgeable about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people .
Saint John ( Maximovitch ) of Shanghai celebrating the Western Rite with Western Rite Orthodox in Paris .
The concept of the Western Rite itself is canonical , but this does not mean all Western rite groups have the blessing of St. John , or are without issues .
Sadly , many Orthodox only seem to focus on the glorious single period of Byzantine saints , and often are unaware of the lives of more obscure saints , and this is unfortunate .
I am thinking particularly of ancient Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , for the sake of emphasizing the universality of the church , Orthodoxy is not an Eastern European phenomenon—it is neither an Eastern nor Western church .
It is Catholic , Ecumenical—which is to say , a universal faith .
We confess the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church , not the One Holy Greek Church or One Holy Muscovite Church .
So , what do you think , should there be more awareness of ancient pre-schism Western saints ?
—I think that the question is valid .
I think there should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can venerate those saints whom one wishes provided they ’ re Orthodox .
venerates them , and uses this Western Rite liturgy , the La divine liturgie selon Saint Germain de Paris ( The Divine Liturgy according to St. Germanus of Paris ) .
I have to say this : I find the idea wholesome and good .
Unfortunately , many of those , who are attracted to such things , have not lived up to expectations .
Unfortunately , many eccentrics are involved with these groups .
And there are all sorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which make me slightly suspicious when I look at the Western Rite .
Also , that Mass of St. Germanus of Paris is not a historically authentic thing , but something which has been put together ; I don ’ t think it ’ s a bad thing , I don ’ t think that certain things they ’ re trying to do with the rood screen , for example , are bad—I think they ’ re very beautiful .
But because of the fact that those groups are usually prone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal in France , where they admitted several members of the theosophical society , accepting eclecticism and esotericism , I view all of that with a grain of suspicion .
—And of course , I know that you always personally preferred the Slavonic liturgy and language .
—Oh yes , I prefer only the Slavonic Liturgy and only in Church Slavonic .
I have been immune to—by my experience in the Western [ Roman Catholic ] Church—all temptations of liturgical renovation , or modification , or so-called reform .
In the Western church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to the ruin of what was once a beautiful tradition .
—I absolutely disagree with those who want to have the liturgy in Russian .
I am not for the removal of the iconostasis , I am not for any of those strange innovations that were advocated by the obnovlenci ( Renovationists ) .
No , I am very conservative in liturgical matters .
—So , what do you think will happen now that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has recognized the Ukrainian schismatics ?
Will it lead to a broader schism ?
—Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question to you as an American of Ruthenian or Ukrainian decent who received Orthodoxy and became a very much beloved hieromonk here in Moscow .
Our whole community here very much appreciates your service and your self-evident love for Orthodoxy and the Slavonic language .
What words do you have for the faithful of the Ukrainian lands , and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians around the world , in these times of crisis ?
I am sure they would love to hear from you , as an American who is also one of their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would you have for them ?
—Stay true to Orthodoxy and Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine !
—Thank you very much Father Dr. Constantin !

A video of one of the many times Uniates have attacked Orthodox Christians and seized Churches, from Kolomyya in October of 2017. These sorts of attacks never make it into the anti-Orthodox Western media, and are swept under the rug.
—I don’t think he cares very much. I think this Roman Pontiff is fixated on other issues, especially which concern today’s Latin America. He’s very involved now with this Amazonian Synod, which is, extremely suspect because of its syncretistic aspects, and I don’t think he’s very interested in Eastern Europe.
—Including apparently the suffering of people whom he tries to call “brothers”? That is disastrous, even from the point of view of ecclesiastical diplomacy.
But, he does not seem to be a very intellectual pope, if I may say.
—He is not.
—Also, in the not so distant past, many Galician Uniates supported Nazi Germany during the Second World War. We already talked about the Bandera movement among the emigration in London prior to this. So, would you say that sympathy for Nazism and Russophobia was high among the Ukrainian Uniates of the 1930s, 40s, and onward?
—Well, during the 1930s, among the Ukrainian Uniates, animus was directed mostly against the Poles and the Jews. It was a fascist movement, but at the time, I would not say they were… well… there were ties with the Germans. There were ties, and the movements were similar, but they were still distinct. It was not until the Germans invaded Galicia that… What completely turned the Galicians into rabid let’s say Nazi supporters at that time was the previous occupation of Galicia by the Red Army.
—You are talking about the Soviet Invasion of Poland, around the time the Nazis also invaded Poland, in the fall of 1939—when the godless authorities occupied Galicia?
—Yes. The Red Army had occupied Galicia, then they retreated after the Germans attacked the Soviets, then the Germans occupied Galicia, and then once again the Red Army came. So, it was the first occupation of Galicia by the Red Army, especially by Jews, who occupied leading roles in the persecution of the intellectual elite among the Uniate Ukrainians at the time.
—Ah yes. So, it was the Jewish Soviet godless officials who persecuted Galicians, and this is what made Western Ukrainians perhaps so Russphobic? Or just Anti-Soviet? Is there a difference?
—For the Galicians, to be Russian at the time was to be Communist.
—Quite sad considering that the founding First Hierarch of ROCOR was the Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, and we have a very “Ukrainian” character to our Russian Orthodoxy abroad , to all the jurisdictions really, certainly the OCA, the former Metropolia, but also the ROCOR . Many figures, perhaps even the bulk of our American “Russian” Orthodoxy, came from what is now the Ukraine. So, it’s quite sad that there is this confusion there. In Lvov at one time there were more Russophiles than in Saint Petersburg!
—Well of course, yes!
—In 1988, underground Uniate Bishops Pavel Vasylyk and Philemon Kurchaba met with the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Agostino Casaroli. On February 1, 1990, Archbishop Lazar (Shvets’) of Ternopil and Kremenets, quoted at a meeting of Russian bishops one of those underground Catholic bishops:
“Orthodoxy does not have a place in Western Ukraine; they must resettle in the eastern regions. We will create here a Catholic Ukrainian Republic.”
This was preserved in Russian State Archives. So, were the Uniates receiving or expecting support from the Vatican on this? Or were they acting on their own?
—They were acting on their own. But they have done so consistently, since the time of Andrey Sheptytsky—and that was before the Second World War—but they have always projected this missionary impulse towards what they call “the East”.
Uniate Metropolitan of Galicia Andrey Sheptytsky, lived 1892-1944.—And perhaps this relates to building that very ugly building on the other [east] side of the Dnipro, which mars the view anytime I want to relax in Kiev…
—Yes, but what about their diocese or eparchies, which they have opened in places like Kharkov, where the Uniate population is completely minimal?
They do not realize an important fact—that the Ukrainian nation is an Orthodox nation, not a Catholic nation. It has never been a Catholic nation. Catholics are five percent of the population!
—I understand; we had talked before about how you were a Catholic essentially by chance or circumstance, due to your parent’s compromise between the Orthodoxy of your mother and Protestantism of your father, but in your heart, you always felt Orthodox.
—Yes!
—And I can feel that. It seems quite obvious. So, then, here’s the rather interesting question: How much control does the Vatican actually hold over the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, currently led by Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk?
—Well, let us say he cannot really. As I said before, he consistently makes moves to befuddle any sort of positive development between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.
But let us say, he must do it in a rather, well… You see, Shevchuk is a rather strange person. Even other bishops and the clergy say that he’s quite prone to hysterical outburst and tantrums. He’s quite an unpredictable character. He’s a nationalist of course, but very much aware of his own importance.
Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Of course, he cannot be completely disobedient to the Vatican; that would be scandalous. But today, after the Vatican Council, bishops are known to be quite disobedient to the Curia in the Vatican. Now, you do know that the Curia and the Vatican has never accepted him as Patriarch?
All the posts that are sent to him are addressed to him as “Major Archbishop”—and yet he replies as [a self-styled] Patriarch! I don’t think he replies that way to the Vatican directly, but to his faithful, he does. And there was even talk of him protesting against that fact—that they send posts to him addressed as Major Archbishop and not as Patriarch.
—Then to summarize, would you be saying then that the Vatican does not really hold much influence over Shevchuk?
—Not really. Especially not in his public pronouncements.
—In 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church possessed 8,500 parishes and 20 monasteries, 4,418 churches and 9 monasteries of which were located in Ukraine. In 1990, there were reported to be 2639 Orthodox parishes in Galicia. Between 1990 and 1997 the Greek Catholics seized around 2000 churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Uniates have been among the most active persecutors of Orthodoxy in Ukraine. There’s a video of a Uniate priest literally calling for “terror and assassination” against their enemies, as well as many Uniate priests serving funerals for member of the SS Galicia Division and their neo-Fascists decedents in full Nazi uniform .
 A Uniate priest serving at a Nazi-styled funeral. Note the Swastika on the Wehrmacht-style helmet.
Uniate Chaplain Nikolai Medinsky assaulted believers while seizing a church in October 2017, and he was caught on video forcefully shoving aside elderly women, calling the people Moscow pigs, lifeless biomass, and not even human. These are just some common examples of assaults and persecution committed by Uniate leaders, which raises several questions.
Firstly, seeing that these videos are available to anyone on the internet, is it right to say that the Vatican and Uniate Hierarchs are fully aware of these crimes committed by their clergy? I know we’ve talked about this, but it is just quite difficult for me to understand how these assaults from Nazis in broad daylight are available on YouTube. Are the hierarchs just not aware of this, or…
—I’m sure they share those sentiments.
Uniate “Priest” Nikolai Medinsky in Kolomyya demonstrating how strong a man he is by shoving aside elderly women and stealing their churches. Photo taken from a video by the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
—The Uniate leaders of course share them, but what about the Vatican itself?
—The Vatican? No. I don’t think many of the higher clergy in the Vatican are even informed about those things.
—So, they can just ignore what’s happening there?
—Remember that usually the worst things are happening in isolated villages, and so many of them in the Vatican are poorly informed, and to some degree, informed by the Uniates themselves, who don’t speak of those things to the Vatican.
—So, you think none of this persecution is making it to the ear of the Vatican?
—I think some of it is, but not all of it. The Vatican usually denies most of that, and denies most of the takeovers of the churches, and says that the Orthodox are also aggressive, etc.
—So, how does that affect the relations the Vatican is trying to build with the Russian Church? On the one hand, they come and shake hands with us and say they are our friends, while on the other hand, they just deny that anyone is seizing our churches, or assaulting our family members. And certainly, there are some individuals, who can tell them. You mentioned for example the Ukrainian Orthodox priests who studied in Rome. Don’t they inform the Vatican? It seems to me they’ve had enough opportunities and possibilities to find out what’s happening.
—The students really have very little opportunity, except for one, to come into contact with cardinals or members of the curia who would be influential in such issues.
—And so why is there no outcry? Why is Shevchuk not defrocked, or why isn’t he suspending these priests?
—To the contrary—Shevchuk is not suspending those priests, but his predecessor Liubomyr Huzar was suspending and defrocking priests who proclaimed themselves, traditional Uniates. There is a movement among the Uniates of traditional Uniatism. Did you know that exists?
The Uniate so-called “Patriarchal Cathedral” interior, a modernistic style championed by deceased Uniate leader Huzar, which is a break from both traditional Orthodox and Catholic styles of architecture. Huzar championed a very modernistic style throughout North America and Ukraine.
—No.
—Oh yes! There is a movement among the Uniates, a group of Uniates who reject all of the Byzantine accretions to the liturgy that were imposed after the Uniate Church in Ukraine became free. They want to celebrate with all of the Latinizations, (things like Bishops with gloves, and all those accretions that they had in the nineteenth century); and those priests were quite violently opposed to Huzar, Shevchuk’s predecessor, who suspended and I think even defrocked some of them.
Then there was another group among the Uniates, who were interested in quasi-charismatic exorcism phenomena, and that also created quite a stir among the Uniates. And I believe these problems concern the curia of Shevchuk much more then violent displays of nationalism. He himself is a violent nationalist.
—So, when we see people like Medinsky calling for “death to the enemies”, [or Mikhaylo Arsenych calling for “assassination and terror” ], obviously this is beyond any scholastic debate; it is anti-Christian devilry. So why doesn’t Shevchuk do anything about this? Doesn’t he even feel, if not as a Christian then perhaps for PR reasons that he shouldn’t appear openly as a Nazi?
—Well. I don’t think he cares very much.
—Understood.
—But I have another example for you. You remember I told you about that bishop in England; do you know what eventually happened to him?
—Do you mean Hornyak?
—Yes, do you know what eventually happened to him?
—No.
—Let me tell you what eventually happened to him. He defended the Vatican, and what is known as the Oriental Congregation, to the hilt, against all opponents; he was in it, for whatever reasons, good or bad, but he defended them! He defended them, and eventually he lost almost all his parishioners [to Slipyj].
And at that time, the Pope was John Paul II, who rather appreciated that Slipyj and that movement—not the nationalistic movement, as John Paul II was Polish and the Poles are against Ukrainian nationalism—but let’s say he was more tolerant of them; and during his pontificate, everything seemed to be forgiven—all the abuses that went on during this “patriarchal period” in the diaspora. Because what had been happening in England is that instead of going to the churches, these Uniate Banderite sort of nationalists were gathering in the Ukrainian clubs, which were really taverns, and having suspended priests—suspended priests!—come from Rome to celebrate for them. They were having these masses in the clubs. And of course, the Bishop in England, Hornyak, was completely against that; he said they were all suspended priests, and was defending the Oriental Congregation.
And eventually during the pontificate of John Paul II, after the reopening of the Uniate church in Ukraine, somehow all was forgiven, and those priests were reinstated.
Pope John Paull II with Cardinal Josyf Slipyj at the episcopal consecration of Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, Dec. 11, 1979.
Somehow one of them, a ringleader by the name of Ivan Muzychka, was made rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Rome. Moreover several of the leading patriarchal clergy were given high positions in the hierarchy under John Paull II. And what happened to Bishop Hornyak? He was summarily and essentially demoted by the Oriental Congregation and sent into forced retirement, although he defended the Oriental Congregation for years! Is that any way to behave, to treat him?
—That’s shocking!
—I shall tell you another story about why I became Orthodox, and why I did not stay in the Oriental Institute teaching Russian students. You know we had a very famous Jesuit who taught liturgy in the Oriental Institute. His name was Miguel Arranz; he was a Spanish Jesuit, who belonged to the Roman Province, and was very interested in Russia, making several trips to the Soviet Union.
He was a great friend of Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov), who gave him an honorary doctorate from the Leningrad Theological Academy.
Arranz taught liturgy at the Oriental Institute. I have to say, he was a great friend of Orthodox bishops, he knew the patriarch very well. But his last years were spent in a very lonely state. He alienated himself from the Oriental Institute, and was in part alienated by the Jesuits in the institute. No one seemed to visit or care for him. And he died very embittered and alone, in the Jesuit infirmary in Rome; and he was not even given a Byzantine-rite divine liturgy for his funeral, because he died in the summer when the students of the Russicum were on vacation. He was given an ordinary Latin, very quick mass.
He died very embittered, and I think he felt what very sorry that he had not made the move to Orthodoxy, as I later did.
I meditated very much about him, and thought: “I don’t want that to happen to me.” I want to live my dream—to become Orthodox and to live in Russia, with Russian people. I have always been much more able to understand Russians then I have Italians or Germans, or other Western Europeans. It’s always been much easier for me.
And that was another reason I decided to leave Rome, and the teaching position.
—Rome didn’t have any issue with that? Well, their loss is our gain!
—Well, Rome today does not communicate with me, of course. And the Oriental Institute does not communicate with me. I am a pariah, let’s say.
—Well, their loss is our gain, because as far as I am concerned, you came home.
—Yes. I am very satisfied, I love Moscow, I love being here in the monastery, and I love the liturgies. I love all the liturgies that go on here, and I love the choir, and how the liturgies are celebrated here.
And you know I used to be a complete Orthodox fanatic when I was a Catholic. Wherever I was, I always visited Orthodox Churches. But the Orthodox Churches in the emigration very often seemed to me to be lacking something, especially in the music—very bad choirs. Except in Paris and a few other places.
—You should see the choir of St. Sergius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio. My friend is the choir director there; he was the former Choir Master of the Hierarchal Choir of Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra in Volhynia, Western Ukraine. He came to America a while ago for rather serious lung surgery—a double lung transplant. But I am happy to report that he still sings magnificently, and never fails to amaze Hierarchs and visiting guests. His choir at St. Sergius is just excellent; his name is Father Serhii Chebotar.
—Yes, I know him!
—Ah, you’ve met him!
—Yes, with our mutual friend.
—So, you know another one of my good friends then. Wonderful. You know, the Orthodox world, especially the clergy and families of clergy like my own, are all just a few steps removed. We’re all like one giant family.
We are so happy you came home to Orthodoxy! The Catholic Church seems to be plagued these days…
—Well the Catholic Church… I have one more thing to say about that, and about its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate. During my last two or three years as a professor at the Oriental Institute, I visited the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy at the invitation of His Eminence, Archbishop Amvrosy, and I gave a talk there, after which I gave an interview.
I gave an interview to the students, and I said that I believe the Catholics who are proselytizing in Russia do this against the will of the highest authorities in the Vatican, and the that Orthodox should not—in the opinion of the highest authorities of the Vatican—be proselytized to or made into Roman Catholics.
I said that, and it was published a few months later. After having returned from Australia, I received a letter from the General of the Jesuit Order, and an attached letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who had complained about my statement regarding the proselytizing to the Orthodox. He also complained about my use of the terms for the Uniate movement, which were declared at Balamand—because I quoted the Balamand Declaration —and also the term “sister Church” for the Russian Orthodox Church.
—So, they complained about your use [of a declaration they themselves agreed to]? They complained that you said the position of the leadership Catholic Church is to not try to convert Russians to Roman Catholicism?
—Yes, they complained about my use of those terms. They said those things should not be said, those terms should not be used, and that it was not the doctrine of the Roman Church!
I said the term, “sister Church” should be used, there should be no proselytizing, and that the Orthodox should not become Roman Catholics! And that was the policy of the Vatican!
And that was denied! Denied by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, or by their representative, and I had to apologize and write letters to the General of the Jesuits and to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who said that those were not the policies off the Roman Pontiff or the Vatican. And this was during the time of Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), who was quite friendly to the Orthodox Churches.
So, I must say that in my opinion, there is a sort of doublespeak in the Vatican, constantly with regards to the Orthodox Churches. It says one thing and does another!
It says one thing to someone, but says something completely contrary to someone else. It reminds me of a time when I wrote an article for La Civilta Cattolica, which is the official mouthpiece for the Catholic church in Italy—it is a Jesuit journal—and in that journal, I wrote something about the state of the Macedonian schism.
And I was rebuked by Cardinal Archbishop Colasuonno, who later on was official representative of the Holy See in Moscow, and told that: “Even if what you wrote was true, it should not be written.”
Those were his exact words!
—That sounds like the definition of doublespeak! Fascinating. That really shows the attitude there.
—Yes!
—Shevchuk once said that the goal of the ecumenical movement is to create a single Ukrainian Patriarchate recognized by both Rome and Constantinople. But based on this, I wonder how much of this translates to reality. Would Rome or Constantinople be interested in this compromise?
Shevchuk and Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople meeting in the Vatican
—This is a ridiculous proposition, which dates from the time of Sheptytsky. But it was just as ridiculous at the time of Sheptytsky, when the Ukrainian separatist Orthodox invited him to be their patriarch, which was also a ridiculous idea, because there is a difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and they do not seem to realize that.
For the Roman Church, any Ukrainian Church, any united Ukrainian Church must be under the jurisdiction of the pope—there is no other way for the Roman Church. No other way!
Rome might even be inclined to give way on such topics as the Filioque, but it is not inclined in any way, to give way on the subject of Papal Primacy. Never on Papal Primacy!
—So, from a true Catholic perspective, there can be no church which isn’t under the pope, and from a true Orthodox perspective, there can never be a church [i.e. the entire universal church] which is under the pope.
—Yes.
—So, it’s an impasse. This whole movement certainly is ridiculous then. One thing I seem to remember, especially given the current events, is that Patriarch Bartholomew studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Do people remember his time there?
—Oh yes. He gave a speech even in the Institute. Now I have one comment to make about that, on something I recently heard on the Spas TV Station. They were speaking about the fact that Bartholomew was a student of the Institute, and was influenced by Catholic Theology, and that was the reason why he was doing the things that he is now. That is ridiculous.
—So, you don’t feel his actions are influenced by Catholic Theology?
—No. He is influenced by politics, not by Catholicism. He is Anti-Catholic. Bartholomew is, in the dogmatic sense of the word, anti-Catholic. He spoke about the ontological differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism at Georgetown University, at which Catholics were scandalized, because they thought he was… well… All his ideas about being the “ Pope of the East ” are his own political ideas.
It’s true that Catholics would like him to become the Eastern Pope , because then it would be easier for them to deal with the Orthodox Churches, because it would all be with one person. So, in that sense, it would be easier for them; but that Bartholomew was influenced by Catholic theology is absolute nonsense. In fact, I think during the time that he was studying in the Institute it was more likely that the Catholics were influenced by him.
—Thank you, I appreciate the perspective, because I often hear one side, but I have never heard this unique insight on the issue.
—He studied canon law. It was at the time when there was no Uniate canon law, the Uniate law had not been published, so he studied canon law—but canon law is not Theology. I don’t even know if he took any courses in Theology there.
—So why, first of all, are there very many Orthodox clergy studying in the Oriental Institute—or are they mostly Eastern Catholics?
—At one time there were very few, but then the communist countries opened and then there was a flood of students. At one point there were many Ukrainians and Romanians. They were not prepared to study, and they were very bad students. Today there are fewer. When I was studying there were almost equally Uniates and Orthodox, but Orthodox from many Churches. There were some Serbs, there were many Romanians, there were Greeks, and there was a Bulgarian.
—So, what would motivate Orthodox clergy to study in theological institutions of a different faith?
—The library of the Pontifical Oriental Institute is one of the best, if not the best library, on Eastern Christian studies in the world.
—I see, so archivism is what brings people in.
—It’s the library, especially the library. It is also for Greeks, I may say; and I must make a negative comment, because many of the students did not use the library, and that was the most important thing.
—So, out of curiosity, what would happen in the institute when they discuss things like papal primacy, or the essence vs. energies dispute at the time of St. Gregory of Palamas? How are conflicting Orthodox and Catholic views handled?
—Both things are taught.
—On another topic, Michael Huffington, who is an openly homosexual media tycoon, a member of the GOARCH and a big supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate , sponsors a center for Orthodox-Catholic dialog via his foundation at the Jesuit Loyola University in California. There’s also the website Public Orthodoxy from Fordham University, which publishes and supports many unorthodox ideas —for example, pro-homosexual content. So, is there a lot of cooperation between Jesuit universities and Orthodox institutes?
—In the United States, Jesuit universities really no longer exist. All the Jesuit universities, with very few exceptions, are in the hands of lay people. They are Jesuit universities only in name; the president is usually a Jesuit, but he has very little power.
Georgetown University, which had a very good academic program, is one of the most liberal universities, and was recently forbidden to use the name Catholic in its title because of its openness to homosexuals, lesbians, and the various sort of sexual perversities which go on in the West.
I don’t know very much about Loyola. The only thing I know is that Kirill Hovorun is teaching there.
—Now on the topic of “Western influence”: Some schools within Orthodoxy apply the term, “ Western captivity”, as in The Ways of Russian Theology by the great theologian Father Georges Florovsky. I always found it regrettable that some Orthodox people of what we could call a “Pietistic” trend, are allergic to anything perceived as Western—for example, even the Latin language itself.
Many Orthodox Saints used this language, and my “favorite” saint, Peter Mohyla, could even converse in Latin. St. John of Shanghai highly venerated many ancient Western saints, and was extremely knowledgeable about them—his response on these issues may surprise many people .
Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai celebrating the Western Rite with Western Rite Orthodox in Paris. The concept of the Western Rite itself is canonical, but this does not mean all Western rite groups have the blessing of St. John, or are without issues.
Sadly, many Orthodox only seem to focus on the glorious single period of Byzantine saints, and often are unaware of the lives of more obscure saints, and this is unfortunate.
I am thinking particularly of ancient Western traditions that are completely Orthodox. After all, for the sake of emphasizing the universality of the church, Orthodoxy is not an Eastern European phenomenon—it is neither an Eastern nor Western church. It is Catholic, Ecumenical—which is to say, a universal faith.
We confess the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, not the One Holy Greek Church or One Holy Muscovite Church. So, what do you think, should there be more awareness of ancient pre-schism
Western saints?
—I think that the question is valid. I think there should be more veneration. I think one can venerate those saints whom one wishes provided they’re Orthodox. The Western Rite venerates them, and uses this Western Rite liturgy, the La divine liturgie selon Saint Germain de Paris (The Divine Liturgy according to St. Germanus of Paris).
I have to say this: I find the idea wholesome and good. Unfortunately, many of those, who are attracted to such things, have not lived up to expectations. Unfortunately, many eccentrics are involved with these groups. And there are all sorts of aberrations and abuses which go on, which make me slightly suspicious when I look at the Western Rite.
Also, that Mass of St. Germanus of Paris is not a historically authentic thing, but something which has been put together; I don’t think it’s a bad thing, I don’t think that certain things they’re trying to do with the rood screen, for example, are bad—I think they’re very beautiful. But because of the fact that those groups are usually prone to changing jurisdictions, and because of the scandal in France, where they admitted several members of the theosophical society, accepting eclecticism and esotericism, I view all of that with a grain of suspicion.
—And of course, I know that you always personally preferred the Slavonic liturgy and language.
—Oh yes, I prefer only the Slavonic Liturgy and only in Church Slavonic. I have been immune to—by my experience in the Western [Roman Catholic] Church—all temptations of liturgical renovation, or modification, or so-called reform. In the Western church, so-called reform only led to deformation and to the ruin of what was once a beautiful tradition.
—Yes. We’re both obviously liturgical conservatives.
—I absolutely disagree with those who want to have the liturgy in Russian. I am not for the removal of the iconostasis, I am not for any of those strange innovations that were advocated by the obnovlenci (Renovationists). No, I am very conservative in liturgical matters.
Hieromonk Constantin (Simon), center, holding the chalice.
—So, what do you think will happen now that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has recognized the Ukrainian schismatics? Will it lead to a broader schism?
—Well of course it will!
—My final question to you as an American of Ruthenian or Ukrainian decent who received Orthodoxy and became a very much beloved hieromonk here in Moscow. Our whole community here very much appreciates your service and your self-evident love for Orthodoxy and the Slavonic language. What words do you have for the faithful of the Ukrainian lands, and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians around the world, in these times of crisis? I am sure they would love to hear from you, as an American who is also one of their own zemlyaki (countrymen). What words would you have for them?
—Stay true to Orthodoxy and Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine!
—Thank you very much Father Dr. Constantin!
—Thank you!


southfront--2020-08-01--Portland’s ‘Peaceful’ Protesters Burn Bibles, American Flags And Pig’s Head After Feds Withdraw

After federal agents withdrew from Portland late last week , neo-Marxist ‘ youts ‘ broke out the lighter fluid and @ @ @ @ @ flags , and a severed pig ’ s head donning a police hat .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ fired at a shooting downtown , striking a woman in the arm who was transported @ @ @ @ @ threatening injuries .
Of course , the is out with fresh propaganda with the headline @ @ @ @ @ as federal agents withdraw .
”

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
After federal agents withdrew from Portland late last week, neo-Marxist ‘youts‘ broke out the lighter fluid and began torching Bibles, American flags, and a severed pig’s head donning a police hat.
Left-wing activists bring a stack of Bibles to burn in front of the federal courthouse in Portland. pic.twitter.com/lYWY0x8n8P — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 1, 2020
'F*ck Trump!' | Bible and US flag set alight on 65th night of protests in #Portland pic.twitter.com/3c60egqEa3 — RT (@RT_com) August 1, 2020
Antifa protesters dumped a bloody severed pig's head on an American flag outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland. They put a cop's hat on it and set all of it on fire. #PortlandRiots #antifa pic.twitter.com/qfAOT4ItxP — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 31, 2020
More flag burning at the antifa/ BLM gathering in downtown Portland. Video by @FromKalen. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/okngG7eRYK — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 1, 2020
Meanwhile, over 150 rounds were fired at a shooting downtown, striking a woman in the arm who was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Of course, the Washington Post is out with fresh propaganda with the headline “Calm returns to Portland as federal agents withdraw.”
Right…
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southfront--2020-08-01--Military Situation In Yemen On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen : • Saudi-led coalition warplanes @ @ @ @ @ Khab and Shaaf areas ; • According to the Liaison and Coordination Officers ’ Operations @ @ @ @ @ Allah ) , Saudi coalition violated the ceasefire agreement in al-Hudaydah 2895 times during the @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Yemen:
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 2 airstrikes on the Khab and Shaaf areas;
Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 4 airstrikes on the Majzar area;
Saudi-led coalition artillery shelled Ansar Allah positions in the Munbah border district;
According to the Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah), Saudi coalition violated the ceasefire agreement in al-Hudaydah 2895 times during the month of July.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-08-01--Turkey Deployed 27,000 Syrian Militants, Jihadists In Libya: Monitoring Group

Turkey has been deploying Syrian militants and jihadists of different nationalities in Libya to support the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) revealed in a report on August 1 .
According to the London-based monitoring group , a new batch of Syrian militants and jihadist arrived in Libya in the last few days .
The SOHR estimates that Turkey has deployed more than 17,000 Syrian militants , including 350 children , in Libya so far .
At least 6,000 of them returned to Syria in the recent few months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploying its Syrian proxies , Turkey also transported around 10,000 Jihadists of different nationalities to fight for the GNA in Libya .
At least 2,500 of them are Tunisian .
Turkey began sending Syrian militants and jihadists to Libya last year .
This step boosted the offensive capabilities of the GNA and allowed its forces to repel the Libyan National Army attack on the capital , Tripoli .
These achievements came at a high cost for Syrian militants .
According to the SOHR , 481 Syrians were killed in Libya .
34 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Turkey appears to be determined to increase its military presence in Libya .
Recent reports revealed that Ankara is planning to establish permanent bases for its forces in the Arab country .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC :

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Turkey has been deploying Syrian militants and jihadists of different nationalities in Libya to support the Government of National Accord (GNA), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed in a report on August 1.
According to the London-based monitoring group, a new batch of Syrian militants and jihadist arrived in Libya in the last few days.
The SOHR estimates that Turkey has deployed more than 17,000 Syrian militants, including 350 children, in Libya so far. At least 6,000 of them returned to Syria in the recent few months after receiving the full payment.
“Turkey continues to bring more factions’ fighters, mercenaries, to its camps and train them,” the SOHR’s report reads.
Besides deploying its Syrian proxies, Turkey also transported around 10,000 Jihadists of different nationalities to fight for the GNA in Libya. At least 2,500 of them are Tunisian.
Turkey began sending Syrian militants and jihadists to Libya last year. This step boosted the offensive capabilities of the GNA and allowed its forces to repel the Libyan National Army attack on the capital, Tripoli.
These achievements came at a high cost for Syrian militants. According to the SOHR, 481 Syrians were killed in Libya. 34 of them were under the age of 18.
Turkey appears to be determined to increase its military presence in Libya. Recent reports revealed that Ankara is planning to establish permanent bases for its forces in the Arab country.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-08-01--Turkish-Backed Militants Leak Alleged Recording Of Egyptian Troops In Syria

On July 31 , Arabi 21 shared a voice recording claiming to be of Egyptian troops recently deployed around the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib .
The news outlet said the recording was provided to it by Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud , a spokesman for the Turkish-backed Syria National Army ( SNA ) .
The spokesman claimed that the SNA intercepted calls between Egyptian troops in western Aleppo .
The 33-second voice recording is supposedly a call between two Egyptian service members in Syria .
However , nothing in the recording indicates that those speaking in Egyptian dialect are soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on July 30 that Egypt deployed troops around Greater Idlib to support the Syrian Arab Army .
According to the SNA , 148 Egyptian service members were deployed in southern Idlib and western Aleppo .
The service members were supposedly flown from Cairo and Ismailia to Hama Air Base in central Syria on July 26 and 27 .
Pro-government sources and the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights denied any Egyptian deployment in Syria .
However , Cairo is yet to comment on these claims .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 that Egypt may have deployed troops in Syria as a political message to Turkey .
Last year , Ankara defied Egypt by intervening in Libya .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Free Love And Liberal Values : Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib Frontline

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On July 31, Arabi 21 shared a voice recording claiming to be of Egyptian troops recently deployed around the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib.
The news outlet said the recording was provided to it by Maj. Youssef al-Hamoud, a spokesman for the Turkish-backed Syria National Army (SNA). The spokesman claimed that the SNA intercepted calls between Egyptian troops in western Aleppo.
The 33-second voice recording is supposedly a call between two Egyptian service members in Syria. However, nothing in the recording indicates that those speaking in Egyptian dialect are soldiers or that they are indeed in Syria.
The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported on July 30 that Egypt deployed troops around Greater Idlib to support the Syrian Arab Army.
According to the SNA, 148 Egyptian service members were deployed in southern Idlib and western Aleppo. The service members were supposedly flown from Cairo and Ismailia to Hama Air Base in central Syria on July 26 and 27.
Pro-government sources and the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights denied any Egyptian deployment in Syria. However, Cairo is yet to comment on these claims.
A source in the Syrian opposition told Arabi 21 that Egypt may have deployed troops in Syria as a political message to Turkey. Last year, Ankara defied Egypt by intervening in Libya.
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southfront--2020-08-01--Military Situation In Afghanistan On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • According to the @ @ @ @ @ that at least 9 civilians were killed and 50 others were wounded in Pakistani forces @ @ @ @ @ district , Kandahar province ; • At least 14 people were wounded in an explosion @ @ @ @ @ the city of Herat .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
According to the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed that at least 9 civilians were killed and 50 others were wounded in Pakistani forces artillery attacks on Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province;
At least 14 people were wounded in an explosion in the Tank-e-Mawlawi area in the city of Herat.
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southfront--2020-08-01--Free Love And Liberal Values: Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib

Free Love And Liberal Values: Thermal Video Documents Turkish-backed Rebels Having Gay Sex At Idlib Frontline

Militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib were caught having gay sex in public in a newly-released video .
The Syrian Military Capabilities Facebook pages released the video , which was recorded with a thermal surveillance system , on August 1 .
The video shows two militants engaging in a sexual conduct at the rooftop of a building near a frontline with the Syrian Arab Army .
A source familiar with the video told SouthFront that the footage was recorded in the vicinity of the town of Enkawi in Idlib ’ s southern countryside .
The town is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Sham ( HTS ) and the National Front for Liberation .
While Greater Idlib militants promote themselves as being Islamic and conservative , their acts say otherwise .
Various sexual scandals regularly erupte in the miltiant-held region .
Last month , many scandalous photos of Bilal Abdul Kareem , a propagandist for al-Qaeda , surfaced online .
HTS was accused of leaking the photos .
These scandals expose the hypocrisy of factions that control the ‘ opposition-held ’ part of Greater Idlib and claim that they fight Damascus in order to implement Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • Former U.S.-Backed Rebel Who Rejected Reconciliation Assassinated In Syria ’ s Daraa

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Militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib were caught having gay sex in public in a newly-released video.
The Syrian Military Capabilities Facebook pages released the video, which was recorded with a thermal surveillance system, on August 1. The video shows two militants engaging in a sexual conduct at the rooftop of a building near a frontline with the Syrian Arab Army.
A source familiar with the video told SouthFront that the footage was recorded in the vicinity of the town of Enkawi in Idlib’s southern countryside. The town is controlled by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the National Front for Liberation.
While Greater Idlib militants promote themselves as being Islamic and conservative, their acts say otherwise. Various sexual scandals regularly erupte in the miltiant-held region. Last month, many scandalous photos of Bilal Abdul Kareem, a propagandist for al-Qaeda, surfaced online. HTS was accused of leaking the photos.
These scandals expose the hypocrisy of factions that control the ‘opposition-held’ part of Greater Idlib and claim that they fight Damascus in order to implement Islamic Sharia laws.
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southfront--2020-08-01--Israel Informed Hezbollah That It Will No Longer Target Its Fighters In Syria – Report

Israel has informed Hezbollah that it will no longer target its fighters in Syria , the Palestinian al-Hadath newspaper reported on August 1 , citing Israeli media reports .
According to the newspaper , Hezbollah was informed of the Israeli decision in a message that was delivered by the UN .
Hezbollah lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital , Damascus .
Since then , Israel has been anticipating an attack by the Lebanese group , which is well-known for responding to such incidents .
Al-Hadath said the new Israeli message to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aviv warned the group that it will strike “ six sensitive targets ” in response to any attack from Lebanon on its territory .
This was the second Israeli message to Hezbollah since July 20 .
In the first message , Israel told the group that it didn ’ t intend to kill its fighter in the recent airstrikes on Damascus .
Tel Aviv also warned the group from responding .
Israel ’ s promise to stop its attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Syria may de-escalate tensions with the group .
Nevertheless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand-off with Israel .
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Israel has informed Hezbollah that it will no longer target its fighters in Syria, the Palestinian al-Hadath newspaper reported on August 1, citing Israeli media reports.
According to the newspaper, Hezbollah was informed of the Israeli decision in a message that was delivered by the UN.
“The occupation [Israeli] government sent a message to Lebanese Hezbollah, through the UN, saying it will refrain from targeting Hezbollah fighters in Syria once and for all,” the al-Hadath’s report reads.
Hezbollah lost one of its fighters in the July 20 Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus. Since then, Israel has been anticipating an attack by the Lebanese group, which is well-known for responding to such incidents.
Al-Hadath said the new Israeli message to Hezbollah also included a threat. Tell Aviv warned the group that it will strike “six sensitive targets” in response to any attack from Lebanon on its territory.
This was the second Israeli message to Hezbollah since July 20. In the first message, Israel told the group that it didn’t intend to kill its fighter in the recent airstrikes on Damascus. Tel Aviv also warned the group from responding.
Israel’s promise to stop its attacks on Hezbollah fighters in Syria may de-escalate tensions with the group. Nevertheless, Hezbollah has never backed down from a stand-off with Israel.
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southfront--2020-08-01--Military Situation In Iraq On August 1, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • As a result @ @ @ @ @ Mukayshifa area one Iraqi Federal Police officer was killed and 3 others were wounded ; @ @ @ @ @ ( PMU ) seized several explosive barrels and rocket launchers belonging to ISIS terrorists northeast @ @ @ @ @ to US CENTCOM , ISF cleared more than 250 villages and sites during the 4th @ @ @ @ @ Heroes ” in Diyala Province ; • The Iraqi Air Force conducted air strikes at @ @ @ @ @ south of Kirkuk .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
As a result of ISIS attacks in the Mukayshifa area one Iraqi Federal Police officer was killed and 3 others were wounded;
The Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) seized several explosive barrels and rocket launchers belonging to ISIS terrorists northeast of Baquba;
Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced snap parliamentary elections on June 6, 2021;
According to US CENTCOM, ISF cleared more than 250 villages and sites during the 4th phase of Operation “Iraqi Heroes” in Diyala Province;
The Iraqi Air Force conducted air strikes at ISIS locations in Wadi Al-Shay south of Kirkuk.
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southfront--2020-08-01--Former U.S.-Backed Rebel Who Rejected Reconciliation Assassinated In Syria’s Daraa

On August 1 , a former fighter of the Free Syrian Army ( FSA ) was assassinated in the southern Syrian governorate of Daraa .
The fighter , Ibrahim Saleh al-Falouji , was shot and killed by unknown gunmen while he was visiting the martyrs ’ cemetery near Daraa city in the early morning .
The gunmen managed to escape .
Al-Falouji reportedly fought in the ranks of the FSA ’ s al-Islam Dawn Division .
The group was one of many supported by the U.S. Military Operation Center , MOC , in Jordan .
Advanced weapons , including TOW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group .
According to local sources , al-Falouji refused to join the reconciliation process in Daraa in 2018 .
He also refused exile , thus he stayed illegally in Daraa .
The few fighters who refused to reconcile or leave Daraa are either radicals or wanted for major offenses .
ISIS cells in Daraa may be behind the assassination of al-Falouji .
The Syrian intelligence or local factions could be also responsible .
Many soldiers and local fighters were assassinated in Daraa in the last few months .
A state of lawlessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of poor coordination between government forces and local factions .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Syrian Pro-Government Fighters Killed , Injured In New ISIS Attack In Deir Ezzor

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On August 1, a former fighter of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was assassinated in the southern Syrian governorate of Daraa.
The fighter, Ibrahim Saleh al-Falouji, was shot and killed by unknown gunmen while he was visiting the martyrs’ cemetery near Daraa city in the early morning. The gunmen managed to escape.
Al-Falouji reportedly fought in the ranks of the FSA’s al-Islam Dawn Division. The group was one of many supported by the U.S. Military Operation Center, MOC, in Jordan. Advanced weapons, including TOW anti-tank guided missiles, were supplied to the group.
According to local sources, al-Falouji refused to join the reconciliation process in Daraa in 2018. He also refused exile, thus he stayed illegally in Daraa. The few fighters who refused to reconcile or leave Daraa are either radicals or wanted for major offenses.
ISIS cells in Daraa may be behind the assassination of al-Falouji. The Syrian intelligence or local factions could be also responsible.
Many soldiers and local fighters were assassinated in Daraa in the last few months. A state of lawlessness is prevailing over Daraa as a result of poor coordination between government forces and local factions.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Damascus Slams SDF-U.S. Oil Agreement As ‘Deal Between Thieves’

Damascus has slammed the recent agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) and a U.S.-based oil company .
An official source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry told the Syrian Arab News Agency on August 2 that the deal is “ null and void , ” stressing that it has “ no legal effect.
” “ This agreement is considered as an integrated and aggravated theft and it can be only described as a deal between thieves who are stealing and thieves who are buying , ” the source said , adding : “ it constitutes an assault against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuation of the U.S. hostile approach towards Syria.
” The source also warn the SDF that U.S. presence in northeast Syria will “ inevitably disappear , ” threatening the Kurdish-led group with a military defeat .
The SDF ’ s agreement with the Delaware-based Delta Crescent Energy LLC was singed without any permission from the legitimate government in Damascus .
According to a report by Al-Monitor , the agreement will allow Delta Crescent Energy LLC to market oil in northeast Syria and modernize oil fields there .
The U.S. company was granted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office of Foreign Assets Control , OFAC .
The questionable oil deal is likely designed to set an additional foothold for the occupation of Syrian oil fields by US forces as well as to set condictions for the further separation of the SDF-controlled territory from Syria as a state .
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Damascus has slammed the recent agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a U.S.-based oil company.
An official source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry told the Syrian Arab News Agency on August 2 that the deal is “null and void,” stressing that it has “no legal effect.”
“This agreement is considered as an integrated and aggravated theft and it can be only described as a deal between thieves who are stealing and thieves who are buying,” the source said, adding: “it constitutes an assault against Syria’s sovereignty, and a continuation of the U.S. hostile approach towards Syria.”
The source also warn the SDF that U.S. presence in northeast Syria will “inevitably disappear,” threatening the Kurdish-led group with a military defeat.
The SDF’s agreement with the Delaware-based Delta Crescent Energy LLC was singed without any permission from the legitimate government in Damascus.
According to a report by Al-Monitor, the agreement will allow Delta Crescent Energy LLC to market oil in northeast Syria and modernize oil fields there. The U.S. company was granted a license to work in Syria by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC.
The questionable oil deal is likely designed to set an additional foothold for the occupation of Syrian oil fields by US forces as well as to set condictions for the further separation of the SDF-controlled territory from Syria as a state.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Turkish Shelling Leaves Three Children Injured In Northeast Syria (Video)

Late on August 1 , the Turkish military and its proxies shelling the outskirt of the town of Ain Issa in the northern Raqqa countryside .
A military source in the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) told the North Press Agency that three children were injured in the shelling .
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , the children sustained “ varying wounds.
” Turkish forces renewed their shelling on the SDF-held part of northeast Syria in the morning of August 2 .
The shelling targeted the villages of Dad Abdul , Tell Harmel , al-Nwiyhat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the northern al-Hasakah countryside .
No losses were reported .
The motive behind the Turkish shelling is clear .
The SDF launched few attacks from the targeted areas during the last few months , according to Turkish claims .
The Syrian Arab Army and the Russian Military Police maintain a fairly large military presence near Ain Issa and Tell Tamir .
The Turkish shelling violates two “ de-escalation ” agreements Ankara signed with both Moscow and Washington last year .
These provocations are destabilizing northeast Syria and harming civilians in the region @ @ @ @ @ @

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Late on August 1, the Turkish military and its proxies shelling the outskirt of the town of Ain Issa in the northern Raqqa countryside.
A military source in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told the North Press Agency that three children were injured in the shelling. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the children sustained “varying wounds.”
Turkish forces renewed their shelling on the SDF-held part of northeast Syria in the morning of August 2. The shelling targeted the villages of Dad Abdul, Tell Harmel, al-Nwiyhat and Khadrawi near the town of Tell Tamr in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. No losses were reported.
The motive behind the Turkish shelling is clear. The SDF launched few attacks from the targeted areas during the last few months, according to Turkish claims.
The Syrian Arab Army and the Russian Military Police maintain a fairly large military presence near Ain Issa and Tell Tamir.
The Turkish shelling violates two “de-escalation” agreements Ankara signed with both Moscow and Washington last year. These provocations are destabilizing northeast Syria and harming civilians in the region.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Military Situation In Syria On August 2, 2020 (Map Update)

The observatory ( ahem ) is reporting large portions of the M5 highway are under SAA ’ s control !
@ @ @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria:
Syrian Army artillery shelled militant positions in the village of Banin;
Fresh Turkish military reinforcements, including tanks, equipment and fuel tracks, deployed in Idlib;
Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions in the vicinity of Ain Issa;
US-led coalition forces conducted a military patrol in the vicinity of Rumailan, northeast of Hasakah.
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southfront--2020-08-02--Pompeo’s Dilemma: US Is Running Out Of Aircraft Carriers And Targets To Up Pressure Against China

As South Front reported last week , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dedicated a major address to insulting and threatening China .
However , his extravagant rhetoric and threats to further increase US pressure on the Asian giant have a major flaw .
The deployment of US military assets to menace China ’ s frontier zones are already at historically high levels , leaving very little room for additional pressure short of an amphibious landing or missile strike .
As reported by the South China Morning Post last week , US military aviation flights around its maritime borders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative ( SCSPI ) , during the week ending 25 July US air force E-8C surveillance planes were spotted closer than 100 nautical miles to the southeast coast of Guangdong province on four separate occasions .
US planes have ventured “ unusually close ” to Chinese airspace several times since April .
The closest flight to date was in May when a US navy P-8A Poseidon – designed for anti-submarine warfare – almost reached the 12 nautical mile limit near Hainan Island , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SCSPI said its statistics showed flights by US planes approaching up to 50 to 60 nautical miles off the mainland were “ frequent ” .
A record of 50 sorties – flying from US land bases located in the vicinity of the South China Sea – was set in the first three weeks of July , coinciding with separate Chinese and US military exercises in the area .
On peak days , SCSPI said it had counted as many as eight US aircraft , including the aircraft types P-8A EP-3E , RC-135W and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July 3 , as aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz , along with their respective strike groups , entered the region .
The two aircraft carrier strike groups conducted drills in the area on two separate occasions , commencing on July 4 and July 17 .
In between the exercises , the US State Department issued a statement describing China ’ s claim to the disputed waterway as “ unlawful ” and adding that Washington supported the other Southeast Asian claimants .
The resource-rich South China Sea is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around a third of international shipping passing through it .
China claims most of the area while Vietnam , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei and Indonesia all have overlapping claims .
The range of US military planes involved in the South China Sea missions was an indication of their purpose , according to SCSPI director Hu Bo .
These included anti-submarine patrol , communication signal collection , and radar frequency detection , among others .
These operations have led to a number of incidents , and occasionally crises , in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 when a US navy EP-3E Aries II flew to within 59 nautical miles of Hainan Island and collided with an intercepting PLA navy J-8II fighter .
The Chinese pilot died and the US plane was forced to land on Hainan , giving then-president George W. Bush the first diplomatic crisis of his tenure .
In 2014 , 2015 and 2017 , the Pentagon repeatedly accused Chinese fighters of nearly causing accidents by making “ unsafe ” interception manoeuvres with US spy planes near the Chinese coast in the South China Sea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said the PLA could be expected to send fighters out to intercept and expel US aircraft on every close reconnaissance mission .
The record number of military flights was accompanied by a large spike in navy deployments as well , with three aircraft carriers cruising around the South China Sea during June and July .
Prior to the extended excursions of the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz mentioned above , the USS Theodore Roosevelt had wound up its latest trouble-plagued deployment to the north-western Pacific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guam as the crew desperately tried to contain an outbreak of the Coronavirus , with a short patrol towards China ’ s maritime border zone .
While the US ’ increasingly hostile and hysterical tone against China has done nothing to alter the latter ’ s implacable resolve to pursue and defend their maritime claims and vital national interests , the US its placing its allies and partners in the region in an increasingly difficult position , South Korea in particular but also Japan and others , as they try to maintain amicable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military forces whose distant commanders seem determined to pick a fight with China .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • US Secretary of State dedicates major address to China baiting

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As South Front reported last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dedicated a major address to insulting and threatening China. However, his extravagant rhetoric and threats to further increase US pressure on the Asian giant have a major flaw. The deployment of US military assets to menace China’s frontier zones are already at historically high levels, leaving very little room for additional pressure short of an amphibious landing or missile strike.
As reported by the South China Morning Post last week, US military aviation flights around its maritime borders in July were the highest on record. According to the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), during the week ending 25 July US air force E-8C surveillance planes were spotted closer than 100 nautical miles to the southeast coast of Guangdong province on four separate occasions.
“At the moment the US military is sending three to five reconnaissance aircraft each day to the South China Sea,” SCSPI said. “In the first half of 2020 – with much higher frequency, closer distance and more variety of missions – the US aerial reconnaissance in the South China Sea has entered a new phase.”
US planes have ventured “unusually close” to Chinese airspace several times since April. The closest flight to date was in May when a US navy P-8A Poseidon – designed for anti-submarine warfare – almost reached the 12 nautical mile limit near Hainan Island, on China’s southernmost tip.
SCSPI said its statistics showed flights by US planes approaching up to 50 to 60 nautical miles off the mainland were “frequent”. A record of 50 sorties – flying from US land bases located in the vicinity of the South China Sea – was set in the first three weeks of July, coinciding with separate Chinese and US military exercises in the area.
On peak days, SCSPI said it had counted as many as eight US aircraft, including the aircraft types P-8A EP-3E, RC-135W and KC-135. One such peak occurred on July 3, as aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz, along with their respective strike groups, entered the region.
The two aircraft carrier strike groups conducted drills in the area on two separate occasions, commencing on July 4 and July 17. In between the exercises, the US State Department issued a statement describing China’s claim to the disputed waterway as “unlawful” and adding that Washington supported the other Southeast Asian claimants.
The resource-rich South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest waterways, with around a third of international shipping passing through it. China claims most of the area while Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia all have overlapping claims.
The range of US military planes involved in the South China Sea missions was an indication of their purpose, according to SCSPI director Hu Bo. These included anti-submarine patrol, communication signal collection, and radar frequency detection, among others.
With the People’s Liberation Army also exercising in the Paracel Islands earlier this month, the US intelligence aircraft were probably collecting data on the PLA electronics, Hu said, adding. “The increasing US military operations have become the largest risk and potential source of conflicts.”
These operations have led to a number of incidents, and occasionally crises, in the past. The most serious occurred in April 2001 when a US navy EP-3E Aries II flew to within 59 nautical miles of Hainan Island and collided with an intercepting PLA navy J-8II fighter.
The Chinese pilot died and the US plane was forced to land on Hainan, giving then-president George W. Bush the first diplomatic crisis of his tenure.
In 2014, 2015 and 2017, the Pentagon repeatedly accused Chinese fighters of nearly causing accidents by making “unsafe” interception manoeuvres with US spy planes near the Chinese coast in the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said the PLA could be expected to send fighters out to intercept and expel US aircraft on every close reconnaissance mission.
“The PLA has developed a standard operating protocol on these US planes approaching Chinese airspace. With more frequent US provocations, the PLA will have more frequent interceptions too,” he said. “It poses a challenge to pilots’ skills and training, but the PLA has also become quite proficient to avoid possible accidents or collisions.” LINK
The record number of military flights was accompanied by a large spike in navy deployments as well, with three aircraft carriers cruising around the South China Sea during June and July. Prior to the extended excursions of the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz mentioned above, the USS Theodore Roosevelt had wound up its latest trouble-plagued deployment to the north-western Pacific, much of which was spent at Guam as the crew desperately tried to contain an outbreak of the Coronavirus, with a short patrol towards China’s maritime border zone.
While the US’ increasingly hostile and hysterical tone against China has done nothing to alter the latter’s implacable resolve to pursue and defend their maritime claims and vital national interests, the US its placing its allies and partners in the region in an increasingly difficult position, South Korea in particular but also Japan and others, as they try to maintain amicable relations with China whilst hosting substantial US military forces whose distant commanders seem determined to pick a fight with China.
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