Updated 22 March
As you would expect, churches have called for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine:
The Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury have both spoken by video to the Patriarch of Moscow: Welby, Kirill, and Pope Francis discuss peace in Ukraine by Paul Handley
The official statements from each side:
Analyses of this:
To understand the theological views of Patriarch Kirill, you need to study the viewpoint of the other Orthodox churches:
Updates
Religion News Service Jack Jenkins How Putin’s invasion became a holy war for Russia
Church Times Jonathan Luxmoore Patriarch Kirill backs Putin’s denial of Ukrainian independence
Archbishop Cranmer Why doesn’t Patriarch Kirill excommunicate Putin forthwith?
Toronto Star Michael Coren Ukraine’s suffering mirrors that of Easter — we must help this proud nation rise again
When everyone has finished whingeing about hymns/worship songs and how to address an Archdeacon correctly perhaps they would like to join me and many others around the world in condemning Patriarch Kirill’s totally un-Christian support for Putin’s horrendous assault on the land and people of Ukraine? Where are our priorities?
Let’s not be judgemental. It has taken you four days to comment about it. It’s a fair assumption that most people here have formed a view without the need to state the obvious. The other discussions you mention are just that: discussions.
Well said.
The fact that Kirill supports Putin is nothing new. Kirill has already shown that he prizes russian hegemony (both spiritual and temporal) over Christian unity. There is no further comment needed to be made that the many words linked in the articles above have not already made.
The reality is that my condemnation in this comments section makes not an iota of difference to Kirill or the fate of those poor souls in Ukraine. At least my discussion about church music may influence someone.
You are doubtless right to call this out. Certainly the Church of England can sometimes suffer from an unhealthy degree of introspection. I suspect that Kirill will be sanctioned in the near future, although I suspect that this will make little difference to his views or welfare, or to those of most hierarchs in the ROC. Kirill’s attitude is all of a piece with Russian interventions in the Balkans during the nineteenth century. ‘Blood and soil’ or ‘Panslavism’ were integral to Russian policy (including the ROC). Thus, prior to the Crimean war, Nicholas I declared: “I am on earth the… Read more »
Does anyone know how the Russian Orthodox church(es) in this country are dealing with the situation? I know there has been considerable controversy in the past about identity with Moscow.
See the Archbishop Cranmer article “Why doesn’t Patriarch Kirill excommunicate Putin forthwith?” linked by TA above which includes a statement (and photograph) of Archbishop John van Doebna, Leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in the UK.