The conflict unfolding in Eastern Europe showed signs this Wednesday (4) that it could contribute to an even greater erosion in the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, with religious diplomacy exchanging public barbs.
The Russian institution’s Department of Foreign Affairs accused Pope Francis, a Catholic leader, of having “used the wrong tone” when he wasted comments on the approximately 40-minute conversation he had with Patriarch Cyril, an Orthodox leader, in March.
The pontiff had reported, in an interview with an Italian channel, that Cyril presented a list of justifications for the Ukrainian War and even said that the Russian should not become a “Putin altar boy”. Among other things, the pope claims to have asked Cyril to abandon the language of politics and prioritize that of God.
The Orthodox Church’s note describes the stance as regrettable and says that “the speeches are unlikely to contribute to the establishment of a constructive dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, especially needed at the present time.”
The text also says that Cyril, Putin’s ally, would have presented two reasons that would support the invasion of Ukraine. The first would be the scenario in Kiev in 2014, when social unrest led to the fall of pro-Moscow leader Viktor Yanukovych – an episode he calls a coup.
The second would be the broken promise of NATO (western military alliance) not to advance to the east. “Patriarch Cyril reminded the pope that at the end of the Soviet period, Russia received assurances that NATO would not expand a single inch to the east,” he says.
“However, these promises were not fulfilled”, the text continues. “If NATO had welcomed Ukraine as a member, the time it would take for a rocket to reach Moscow would be a few minutes, and Russia cannot afford that.”
The statement, in part, dialogues with Francis’ comments. To Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, commenting on the roots he finds for Putin’s behavior, he said: “perhaps NATO’s barking at Russia’s door forced him to unleash the war.”
Cyril, also on Wednesday — the 70th day of the war —, came into the crosshairs of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, which proposed freezing his assets as part of the sixth package of sanctions that should be applied against Moscow along with an oil embargo.
Diplomats and documents accessed by outlets such as The New York Times, Reuters and Politico show that Cirilo has been described as one of the most prominent supporters of the conflict. “He is, therefore, responsible for supporting or implementing actions and policies that harm and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” reads an excerpt from the document on the subject.
A senior spokesperson for the Orthodox Church criticized the European bloc for thinking the sanctions will have some effect, comparing them to decades of repression the institution suffered under Soviet rule. “Trying to intimidate our church by putting the clergy on some sort of list is only possible for someone unfamiliar with history,” Vladimir Legoida wrote on a messaging app.
Like Putin, Cyril believes that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. In the midst of speeches with an ultranationalist content, he has already said that the population was ready to defend the homeland. “We were created throughout our history to love our motherland. And we will be ready to protect it, because only Russians can defend their country.”
The patriarch is from St. Petersburg, known as Leningrad in the days of the Soviet Union. With the support of the Russian autocrat, he advocates for the moralization of society, in a campaign in favor of Christian education in schools and against abortion and sexual diversity.
Another development in the religious field also marked this Wednesday, when the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia reacted to recent comments by Russian Chancellor Sergei Lavrov, who claimed that Adolf Hitler “had Jewish blood”.
The Russian group, according to the Tass news agency, has asked that neither side in the war raise questions about nationalities, which can act as catalysts for the conflict. The federation also asks that no mention be made of the history of the Second World War, “which must be treated with due relevance, as the events are still reverberating and remain an open wound”.
