• The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has officially proclaimed the Russian aggression in Ukraine as a “sacred war” against the West, which is engulfed in Satanism, and has approved a document that deems President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine a “Holy War”. [censor.net, risu.ua, miamiherald.com, dialog.ua, unian.net, 24tv.ua, newsweek.com, atlanticcouncil.org]
  • The term “sacred war” may evoke hints of World War II, as the unofficial military anthem of the Soviet Union had the same title, and the Kremlin refers to the myths of the Great Patriotic War to create national support for the war in Ukraine. [unian.net, 24tv.ua]
  • The document frames the war as a key moment in Russia’s battle against the “criminal Kyiv regime” calling it a “special military operation” and declaring that once the war is over, “the entire territory of modern Ukraine should enter the zone of Russia’s exclusive influence.” [newsmax.com, christianpost.com]
  • The Russian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate (ROC MP) is a Kremlin-controlled organization and a known tool within the Russian hybrid warfare toolkit. [kyivpost.com]
  • The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who is an ally of Putin, has been criticized for providing a religious justification for the war. The document stresses [newsweek.com, atlanticcouncil.org]
  • The declaration casts the war in Ukraine as a spiritual crusade to preserve the unity of “Holy Rus,” depicting Russia as a defender against Western encroachment, and advocates for asylum in Russia for those upholding traditional values. [christianpost.com]
  • The document aligns closely with Putin’s political stance, blending spiritual and temporal power, and advocates for Russia as a global protector against Western globalism, promoting a nationalistic education reform purging Western ideologies. [christianpost.com]
  • Ukrainian Churches have urged Christian organizations to condemn a Russian Orthodox declaration that called for a “Holy War” that would, they say, wipe their country from the map. [churchtimes.co.uk]
  • Orthodox church representatives globally, such as the U.S.-based Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC), have condemned the war, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) cut ties with the Russian Orthodox Church after the start of Putin’s invasion on February 24, 2022. [newsweek.com]
  • The Kyiv-based Institute for Religious Freedom said in February 2023 that the Russian military had destroyed, damaged, or looted at least 494 religious buildings, with the figure estimated to be far higher today. The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, said that where Russia has arrived in Ukraine, “they exterminate all other religions besides the well-controlled and weaponized Russian Orthodox Church.” [newsweek.com]

Sources:

  • censor.net (Russian)
  • risu.ua (Ukrainian)
  • miamiherald.com (English)
  • dialog.ua (Ukrainian)
  • unian.net (Ukrainian)
  • 24tv.ua (Ukrainian)
  • newsweek.com (English)
  • atlanticcouncil.org (English)
  • newsmax.com (English)
  • christianpost.com (English)
  • kyivpost.com (English)
  • news.northeastern.edu (English)
  • com.ua (Ukrainian)
  • churchtimes.co.uk (English)

Links: