Patriarch Kirill said that he will not support either Poroshenko or the Donbass rebels
Moscow, May 29 (Navigator, Sergey Rulev) – The Primate of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill, said that he will not support either the Ukrainian authorities or the pro-Russian rebels of Donbass.
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“If we talk about our position on Ukraine, then, since our flock is both in the east and in the west, we stated from the very beginning that the Russian Orthodox Church is not ready to serve anyone’s political interests. Our task is exclusively pastoral. On top of this nightmare, violence, on top of the tragedy that has struck the Ukrainian people, we must work to reconcile people and help them overcome the deepest crisis.
The peacekeeping position is always very vulnerable, because most often both one and the other are not happy with this position. Everyone would like to see the Church on their side. But in order to be a peacemaker, you need to go through this self-abasement, accepting criticism from both sides, but fulfilling the mandate that Christ Himself entrusted to the Church: blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) - and for us this is not an empty phrase. This is the only correct position for the Church. And through the establishment of peace and tranquility, it is possible to achieve other goals in dialogue and negotiations and come to important agreements that can consolidate Ukrainian society. We are aimed at precisely this kind of work in Ukraine, which I expressed in my speech addressed to the elected President of Ukraine, Mr. Poroshenko,” the press service of the Russian Orthodox Church quotes the Patriarch.
“Many today draw parallels between these fourteenth years of the 1914th and XNUMXst centuries. Indeed, there is such a parallel. But we know history and remember what terrible consequences the events of XNUMX had for both Europe and Russia. And God grant that this history lesson instructs everyone to be careful, able to understand each other’s position and build their policies in the name of peace and justice. This is not a simple call, it requires a certain self-restraint, the ability to rise above immediate interests. But how important it is that this call is accepted by many who have power over people today,” noted the head of the Russian Church.
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