Patriarch Kirill: He prayed for the end of the war in Ukraine, without condemning it

The head of the Orthodox Church Russia , Patriarch Cyrilthe whose support to the “special military operation” in Moscow in Ukraine has disappointed many believers, he expressed today the hope that the war will end quickly without condemning him again.

In a service outside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, on the eve of Orthodox Easter today, Patriarch Cyril consecrated pieces of “kulitsi”, an Easter cake, and said that many of them will be sent to the Donbas district. , in eastern Ukraine.

“My God, may this Easter gift help those involved in this difficult conflict, to calm their hearts, minds, souls, so that this deadly conflict ends as soon as possible and the long-awaited peace prevails and with “Let the piety of the people and the faith be strengthened,” said Cyril.

Allied According to President Vladimir Putin, Patriarch Kirill has in the past made statements in support of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, a position that has divided the world’s Orthodox Christians.

While speaking today about the need for reconciliation, he did not question or criticize the Russian operation.

“May the Lord first of all reconcile our people in Ukraine, in Donbass, where blood is still being shed,” said Cyril, who, like Putin, believes that Russians and Ukrainians are essentially the same people. .

“May the Lord heal the wounds of the people, the families who lost their loved ones, the parents who lost their children, and the children who lost their parents,” he said.

The patriarch’s support for the Russian military operation, in which thousands of soldiers and Ukrainian civilians have been killed, has angered some in the Russian Orthodox Church as well as churches abroad affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, thwarted his plans to meet with Cyril in June.

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