On 17 September 2025, a round table discussion entitled “From dispelling myths to seeking the common good” was held at the St. Sofia Cathedral complex in Kyiv. The event was organised by the NGO St. Sofia Brotherhood with the support of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Switzerland). At the invitation of the organisers, Sergii Bortnyk, head of the Academic Initiative Foundation, took part in the event. He gave a presentation on possible ways of reconciliation in the current confrontation between the Ukrainian state and the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The speakers included well-known public religious scholars, theologians and publicists. One of the topics of discussion at the round table was the controversy surrounding the image of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the public sphere of Ukraine. In particular, Yuriy Chornomorets vividly described the cultural worldview of the faithful and the leadership of the UOC, drawing a direct parallel with the characteristics of classical fascism.
In turn, Sergii Bortnyk spoke in defence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, emphasising the need to distinguish between its administrative and canonical subordination. In particular, he analysed the views of Viktor Yelensky, the current head of the State service on ethnic policy and freedom of conscience, described in his seminal work “The Great Return of Religion”.
Sergii Bortnyk emphasised that the concept of “two canonical jurisdictions within one country”, which Dr. Yelensky once defended, could nowadays become the basis for resolving the current confrontation and outline prospects for long-term cooperation between the Orthodox Church and the state.
The text of Sergii Bortnyk’s speech can be read in Ukrainian on our website –
https://www.academic-initiative.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/round_table_17_09_2025_SB.pdf
