Supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church around the world grapple with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several Orthodox leaders have already made their voices heard against the war; The Amsterdam municipality even decided to sever ties with the Moscow leadership. About 300 Russian Orthodox priests signed a petition calling for a ceasefire.
With this, church leaders around the world are opposing the line of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He advocates the war in Ukraine and in sermons supports the Russian population, justifying the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
He does it with big words. For Patriarch Cyril, the war in Ukraine is a crusade, because he fears that a “rogue” Ukraine is too far removed from Russian culture. For example, he said that Ukraine “sinned” by holding gay parades because it belongs to the West.
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Patriarch Kirill is the guardian of the Russian flock of sheep.
Katja Tolstoy, professor and director of the Free University Institute of Eastern Christianity, says Kirill is an important pillar for Putin. “For a long time there was a reasonable separation between church and state. It was more of a strategic alliance: they were working together when it came out. But since the war in Ukraine in 2014, they have become increasingly intertwined.”
The Russian expert Helga Salemon of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies agrees. “In exchange for money, Kirill expresses his unconditional support for Putin.” Salemon sees him as the “sheep herder” in Russia, defending and legitimizing Putin’s actions abroad. This is how Putin is called “God’s gift” by Kirill. “This is a kind of ideology.”
Church as a pillar
According to Salemon, the Russian Orthodox Church thus assumed the role of communism. “After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Church experienced a revival. On the one hand, because the church was no longer challenged, on the other hand, in the turbulent 1990s, people needed something to hold on to.”
In addition, the Russian Orthodox Church receives financial support. “Faith is spreading even through the Kremlin,” Salemon said. A real Russian is a Russian Orthodox, or so he thinks.”
Professor Tolstoy says Patriarch Kirill has long been trying to strike a balance between Putin and independence. For a long time, he stayed away from the annexation of Crimea by Russia, because he wanted to keep the partisans in Ukraine as friends.” It’s pure power politics, he says.
It was not possible to keep the Ukrainians on good terms. In 2018, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church left the Moscow Patriarchate after Russia allegedly exerted influence over the country through the Church. According to then-president Poroshenko, Russia misused the Common Orthodox Church to conquer Ukrainian territory.
There were also Ukrainian churches that remained faithful to Moscow, as many priests did not consider a “transition” to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church necessary. Under a new Ukrainian law, these “Moscow” churches are required to register their ties to Moscow in their name.
The split of the church in 2018 was cited by the Kremlin as one of the reasons for the invasion of Ukraine. Without giving reasons, Putin says he is afraid of the “demolition” of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill used the same words in a sermon last week.
Close ties to Putin left Kirill no choice but to support the war, Tolstoy says. “So he supports the war to keep power.” Russian expert Salemon adds that this is risky: “His fate depends on the fate of Putin”. Tolstoy: “If Putin loses, Kirill loses.”
Source: NOS
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