The Orthodox Church is getting attention in the world’s media. It is not getting attention in a good way. The Russian Orthodox Church is getting the attention and this is because Patriarch Kyril of Moscow has refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. News sources have made references to the Orthodox Churches that oppose the war.
One has to wonder what ordinary people who have never heard of Orthodoxy think of all this. The Russian Patriarch not condemning war even though his flock in Ukraine is being bombed. The media is also referencing the ongoing fights between Patriarch Bartholomew and Patriarch Kyril.
The Russian Church is beginning to pay a price for its reluctance to condemn the war. Fifteen bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have stopped commemorating Patriarch Kyril during liturgy. There is evidence that the canonical Churches are beginning to join the non canonical “Church” established by Patriarch Bartholomew in 2018. The Russian Patriarch is losing his Church in Ukraine.
“Supporters” of Patriarch Bartholomew have condemned the war and this is correct considering that innocent people are dying. However, they are taking cheap shots and diminishing their moral high ground by using the war to justify Constantinople’s intrusions on the canonical territory of Moscow. The word “supporters” is in italics because both Constantinople and Moscow have supporters as if they were political leaders feuding with one another.
Leaving political sympathies aside (I am a Hellenic Russophile) the issue before all Orthodox Christians is one of morality. From a strictly moral and spiritual perspective the war is sinful and wrong. Russia needs to end the war and the Russian Church has to make clear its opposition to the war.
The Orthodox Church must find its voice. If there is anything the present Ukrainian crisis demonstrates it is that the Church is universal consisting of various local Churches that are its members but the Church can only be one. The Church of Constantinople is one part of the Church and Moscow is another part.
We have seen in the past few years that it is possible for one member of the Church to go astray. This happened to Constantinople when it began to claim universal authority over the whole Church. It is now happening to Moscow which appears to out of touch with its own priests. Over two hundred and eighty Russian priests have condemned the war.
Most Orthodox Churches have condemned the war. It would be better if all the local Churches were able to formulate a common stance against the war at a time when the world is watching the Orthodox Church. Constantinople should not criticize Moscow. Constantinople should adopt a posture of reconciliation and should offer apologies for its intervention in Ukraine.
Moscow in turn should condemn the military invasion of Ukraine. Many of us are tired of the Church becoming divided by factionalism. By taking a moral position against war does not denote being against Russia or being unsympathetic to Russia’s diplomatic and political stances.
The war is distinguishable from politics. The Orthodox Church must remember that morality comes from heaven. Morality over politics. The Orthodox Churches must condemn this war and should refrain from being partisan against one another.
When Orthodox Patriarchs are warring with one another, how can they be a good example to the secular leaders of warring nations?