Ukrainian church leaders say Moscow’s Orthodox Church encourages ‘genocide’ of Ukrainians

LVIV, Ukraine (OSV News) — Representatives of Christian churches in Ukraine strongly condemned the ideology of the “Russian world” (“Russkiy mir”) — as a “chauvinistic doctrine” that “denies the right of the Ukrainian nation to self-determination” and “sovereign development.”

The heads and authorized representatives of Ukraine’s Christian churches held a meeting Jan. 10 in Kyiv and the declaration condemning the “Russian world” was adopted.

“It is well known that the ideological basis of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Russian war crimes, and the genocide of the Ukrainian people is the chauvinistic doctrine of the ‘Russian world’ which is implemented, in practice, in the form of a dictatorship,” church leaders said.

“By analogy with fascism, this can be called ‘rashism,'” they said, adding that “Russkiy mir” as a doctrine and ideology “denies Ukraine the right to exist.”

According to the heads of Ukrainian churches, “this ideology today is a challenge to the preaching of the Gospel in the modern world and destroys the credibility of the Christian testimony regardless of denominations.”

In their declaration, the heads of churches supported the call of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to international interfaith organizations to consider putting moral responsibility on the Russian Orthodox Church for strongly supporting the Russian aggression against Ukraine, inciting “inter-ethnic and interfaith hatred,” and, through “the preaching of the ‘Russian world’ ideology,” encouraging “the genocide of the Ukrainian people.”

Church leaders discussed a number of issues of international cooperation in the context of countering Russian aggression against Ukraine and intensifying the dialogue and cooperation of the churches with civil society institutions of Ukraine.

The meeting of the heads of Christian churches of Ukraine was convened by Senior Bishop Anatoliy Kozachok of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church and attended by Major Archbishop Sviatoslaw Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as well as representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Roman Catholic bishops, All-Ukrainian Union of the Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, the Ukrainian Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church and the Ukrainian Lutheran Church.

After Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, continuing attacks begun in 2014, Ukraine documented at least 123,201 war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine since February 2022.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for the unlawful deportation and transfer of 19,546 children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

On Jan. 8, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak discussed the returning of illegally deported Ukrainian children with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Yermak congratulated Cardinal Parolin on being honored with Ukraine’s high state award — the Order of Merit, second class.

“The recent awarding of Your Eminence with a high state decoration confirms your personal significant contribution to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Yermak emphasized.

He discussed with Cardinal Parolin the consequences of the recent massive missile attacks on Ukrainian populated areas carried out by Russia in the last days of 2023.

“Russia continues to destroy civilian infrastructure and homes of Ukrainians. But despite these challenges, we continue to work and fight. Our morale is very strong and we believe in our victory,” Yermak said.

Yermak and Cardinal Parolin also discussed preparations for the next meeting of national security advisers and political advisers to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos, Switzerland, and, in particular, a representative of the Holy See participating in it.

On the same day, Yermak talked to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference and Pope Francis’ special envoy for peace in Ukraine, who also has been awarded the Order of Merit from Ukraine’s president.

“This is a recognition of your personal role in supporting Ukraine and the mission to return Ukrainian children. I am very proud of our cooperation and appreciate everything you do for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. I hope that in the near future we will have the opportunity to hand over the award to you,” said the Head of the Presidential Office.

The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which represents the various Christian, Jewish and Muslim bodies of Ukraine, called the world to recognize Russia as a terrorist state and provide Ukraine with the means necessary to protect life.

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