Author ORCID Identifier
ORCID: 0000-0002-8186-5692
Abstract
The article examines the role of the Moscow Patriarchate in supporting the Russian-Ukrainian war. It provides numerous examples of the Russian Orthodox Church’s (ROC) endorsement of Putin’s state ideology. The complexities of the ROC’s interactions with its branches abroad are outlined, highlighting both the alignment and contradictions in the statements of ROC leaders in Ukraine, the United States, Estonia, and other countries where public support for the war by representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate has been observed. The study tracks changes in the rhetoric of the ROC’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, from the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to 2024. Evidence is presented of the dismissal and excommunication of clergy who opposed the war. The article also includes data from the Security Service of Ukraine and investigative journalists, revealing the use of church facilities as bases for fully operational militarized religious private military companies (PMCs), recruitment centers for the “Wagner Group,” and venues for children’s militarized religious sports events. The study references Pope Francis’ remarks on his 2022 meeting with Patriarch Kirill and analyzes the ROC’s concept of a “holy war” against the “Satanic West,” where the Church positions itself as a defender of the world. Furthermore, the article explores Patriarch Kirill’s portrayal of the deaths of Russian soldiers in the war as a form of indulgence for the forgiveness of sins.
Recommended Citation
Synchak, Bohdan
(2024)
"The Role of the Moscow Patriarchate in Supporting the Russian-Ukrainian War,"
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 44
:
Iss.
10
, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2589
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol44/iss10/3