The decline in the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate — which is under Kremlin control — has provoked a furious reaction from Russian propaganda, including the press bureau of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). A furious post appeared on the service’s official website accusing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople of supposedly malicious intentions — first, allegedly, he caused a schism in Ukraine, and now he wants to tear the Baltic states away from Moscow:
“In this, he is actively supported by British intelligence services, which are fueling Russophobic sentiments in European countries. At their instigation, Bartholomew — mired in the mortal sin of schism — has found common ground with the authorities of the Baltic states in their desire to sow discord in the Russian Orthodox world. Relying on ideological allies in the form of local nationalists and neo-Nazis, he is attempting to detach the Orthodox churches of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from the Moscow Patriarchate by luring their clergy and congregations into puppet religious structures artificially created by Constantinople”.
Firstly, it is obvious that the desire of the Baltic states to limit Kremlin influence — projected through religious structures under Moscow’s control — will meet resistance from Russia. In advance, the Kremlin is rolling out its classic accusations against the Ecumenical Patriarchate: schism and cooperation with British intelligence services.
This is particularly ironic given that it is Moscow which, throughout its history, has been using the church as a tool for spreading influence — and since Soviet times, practically as an extension of the security services, both domestically and especially abroad. When this becomes not just obvious but completely unacceptable to societies and states subjected to such Kremlin activity, pseudo-moralistic statements like these are brought into play.
Secondly, this rhetoric also serves as a direct indication of one of the justifications Russia may use for attacks against the Baltic states. Moscow will attempt to create the impression that it must defend “true Orthodoxy” and its followers on the territory of these countries. It is entirely possible that accusations will follow against the authorities of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for allegedly violating the rights of believers, along with claims of a need to protect the Russian Orthodox from “neo-Nazis”.
In other words, we are once again seeing the same “Ukrainian playbook” that Kremlin propagandists of all stripes so often talk about. The very same narratives are being pushed by Russian propaganda — both for domestic and foreign audiences — in relation to Ukraine.
Just take a moment to appreciate the style of this rhetoric: “Church circles note that Bartholomew is literally tearing apart the living Body of the Church. In doing so, he likens himself to the false prophets spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves… You will know them by their fruits”.
Russian intelligence, nearly in the fifth year of its war against Ukraine, is quite seriously talking about “mired in sin,” the “Body of the Church,” and “false prophets”. By the way, pushing things to the point of absurdity is yet another well-known tactic of Kremlin propaganda.
