Speaking at an International Theological Conference, “Orthodox Theology in the 21st Century: Challenges and Prospects,” in Athens, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia made an extraordinary disclosure that illuminates a great deal regarding the Moscow Patriarchate’s support of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to an Orthodox Times report on Nov. 28, 2024, His Eminence revealed that during “the preparatory discussions that took place before the Holy and Great Council of Crete in 2016,” the Patriarchate of Moscow, in tandem with other Churches, “made efforts to include a provision on ‘holy war’ in the text of the Council.
His Eminence stated: “I was a witness to the efforts made by the Russians, along with other Churches, during the preparatory meetings for the Council of Crete to include a provision on holy war in the text. This happened long before the issue of Ukraine arose. We, the Greek Orthodox Churches, fought hard to ensure that this provision was not included. And we succeeded.”
The fact that the Moscow Patriarchate even attempted this at the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete is sadly unsurprising in light of the enthusiastic support Moscow Patriarch Kirill has given to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war against Ukraine. Kirill has blessed the Russian war effort and said that Russian soldiers who killed Ukrainians were doing a “heroic deed.” He even went so far as to say that “sacrifice in the course of carrying out your military duty washes away all sins.”
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has repeatedly denounced this perspective and reminded Patriarch Kirill, and the world, of sound Christian values. Despite the immense risks involved in standing against the world’s largest Orthodox Church and the imperial state it serves, His All-Holiness has repeatedly stated that the war in Ukraine “is not a holy and blessed war, as some claim. It’s an evil war, an unholy war. We have to pray that it’s over as soon as possible. We pray for peace….We must pray constantly for the restoration of peace in Ukraine and around the world.”
In May 2022, His All-Holiness sharply criticized Kirill’s stance, saying: “It would not be possible for all the Churches not to condemn the violence, the war. But the Church of Russia let us down. I did not want the Church of Russia and Brother Patriarch Kirill to be this tragic exception.” With his never-failing pastoral sensibility, His All-Holiness added: “I don’t know how he can justify himself to his conscience. How he’ll justify it, how history will judge him. He had to stand up for himself. Because one can object to being pressured by President Putin. He should react to the invasion of Ukraine and condemn the war as all the other Orthodox Primates did. He did not, that is to his detriment and I am very sorry.”
His All-Holiness called upon Patriarch Kirill to renounce his throne, if necessary, and have the courage to face Vladimir Putin’s wrath in order to stand for justice and truth: “We may have had other differences, the one known for the Autocephaly of the Church of Ukraine, the one we have had for centuries because the Russian Church covets the primacy of Constantinople, and undermines the foundations of the throne of Constantinople, but I expected brother Kirill at this critical, historic moment to rise to the occasion. If it is required to even sacrifice his throne, and tell Putin, Mr. President, I cannot agree with you, I resign, I leave. Or put him in jail, I don’t know what President Putin would do if the Patriarch reacted to his plans, but that is what we, the other Primates, would expect.”
In Aug. 2022, His All-Holiness reiterated his unequivocal rejection of the Moscow Patriarch’s claim that Russia was fighting a “holy war”: “His Beatitude the Patriarch of Moscow said that it was a holy war and tried to justify it and explain it in spiritual and religious terms. But I have allowed myself to correct it and say that it is not a holy war but an unholy and evil war. When thousands of new soldiers are killed on both sides, and not only soldiers but also civilians, how can we bless this war with our two hands, as the Blessed Patriarch of Moscow unfortunately does?”
Although the Moscow Patriarchate has severed communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His All-Holiness remains hopeful that full communion will soon be restored. He emphasized that the Ecumenical Patriarchate had not responded to Moscow’s gesture by likewise severing communion, “because it is unthinkable for the Mother Church of Constantinople to cut off the historical spiritual ties with the pious Russian people. In this spirit we hope that one day the Patriarchate of Moscow will also recognize that unity is not imposed by sovereignty, but only embraced in freedom.”
We pray and hope that the Moscow Patriarchate will soon abandon its “holy war” falsehoods and embrace that unity.