Disinfo: The granting of autocephaly to Ukraine was an unlawful 'démarche' by Patriarch Bartholomew

Summary

The hierarchs (at a meeting in Amman) responded to the démarche of Patriarch Bartholomew, his granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This flagrant violation of canons and church law laid the foundation for a conflict dangerous for the Orthodox world.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about autocephaly and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets frequently attack the establishment of an autocephalous Ukrainian church.

Autocephaly was granted to the Ukrainian church by the Constantinople patriarchy. The final decision was made in January 2019, when all members of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate signed off the Tomos of autocephaly. The signing of the Tomos happened after months of careful preparations and considerations by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod. In October 2018, the Holy Synod decided to revoke the letter of 1686 by which it gave the right to the Moscow patriarchy "to consecrate the ecclesiastical subordinates of Constantinople in Kyiv Metropolitanate, interpreted by the Russian Church as its transfer to Moscow."

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vesti.ua (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 186
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27/02/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: autocephaly, Orthodox Church
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Russia was able, in cooperation with Syrian journalists, to prove that the allegations regarding the use of chemical weapons [in Douma] are pure slander by the Western-backed White Helmets.

The organisation [White Helmets] is funded by British intelligence services and is performing its functions by disseminating information and allegations against Syria and its army.

The White Helmets are an arm of British and American intelligence, and its founder, British intelligence officer James Le Mesurier, was killed in “mysterious circumstances” near his home in Istanbul last November.

The organization uses “humanitarian mask” as a cover for its criminal activities. It cooperates with the “Jabhat al-Nusra” organisation, which controls most of Idlib governorate.

Feb 26, 2020
Disproof

An example of many disinformation and propagandist claims about the White Helmets. Pro-Kremlin media routinely accuse the White Helmets of “working for terrorists” and being a creation of the Western intelligence services. No evidence is given to support these claims.

The "White Helmets" movement originated in Syria in 2012. The organisation, which is made up of 3,400 volunteers including teachers, engineers, tailors and firefighters, states that it has no affiliation to any political or military actor and is committed to rendering services to anyone in need. Volunteers save people from the rubble after bombings, despite the danger of dying themselves as a result of repeated air strikes.

Disinfo: Coronavirus is an artificial virus

Indian scientists have been experimenting with new coronavirus and have discovered that it contains two types of coronavirus – bat and snake, as well as four types of HIV viral infections. In December 2019, we learned about the COVID-19 virus in China. The most interesting is that just a few months before, US President Donald Trump announced that “Unless China pulls itself together, they will be sorely regretting.” Given the findings of Indian scientists, we come to the conclusion that this is an artificial virus.

Feb 26, 2020
Disproof

The statement is another example of conspiracy narratives on a plot against China, profitable to the US. See more examples of groundless statements about the coronavirus here.

A preprint scientific manuscript published Jan. 31 by a group of Indian researchers suggested that the virus, known as COVID-19, may have been deliberately engineered using the HIV. The findings, which fed conspiracy theories that the new virus might be a bioweapon, have sparked a huge controversy. The authors withdrew the paper on Feb. 2 from the bioRxiv preprint server.

Disinfo: Crimea rejoined the embrace of Russia

Crimea rejoined the embrace of Russia.

Feb 26, 2020
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Crimea did not "return" to Russia but was illegally annexed by Moscow.