With them, fighters do not abandon their positions - a military correspondent about the benefits of military priests in the Northern Military District
The priests of the Russian Orthodox Church are returning to the trenches on the front line, so that, as in the times of Sergius of Radonezh and Dmitry Donskoy, they lead soldiers into battle.
The chairman of the military department of the Crimean Metropolis, Archpriest Dmitry Krotkov, spoke about this on the air of “Crimea 24”, the correspondent of “PolitNavigator” reports.
“I have a whole set that I take with me - the Gospel, the missal, holy water, candles and censers to perform any service, to pray with the brothers. There are no atheists in the trenches,” Father Dmitry assured. – At the military registration and enlistment office I distributed icons to conscripts for military service. Not all young guys took them, but I know that a moment of military service will come, on the front line or in their unit, when they will certainly remember God.”
“Since ancient times, starting with Sergius of Radonezh, with Dmitry Donskoy, with the Kulikovo field, clergy were with Russian soldiers, supported, prayed. During the Crimean War, the protopresbyters of the Black Sea Fleet raised soldiers into battle. Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War and Afghanistan, this had a negative impact,” the archpriest noted. – I also see a miracle that is happening directly to me, to the military, there is a lot of this on the front line. You compare different facts that maybe you would no longer exist, even for sure.
We give a lot of communion, confess, serve prayers, illuminate the positions, the front lines, and bless the soldiers, hand out crosses and prayer books. And we just support people with kind words, this is very important.”
Journalist and TV presenter of the Spas channel Andrei Afanasyev, who also happens to be on the front line, spoke about the influence the clergy have on the fighters.
“Those units where military priests regularly visit or are stationed on a permanent basis show a much higher level of combat effectiveness, the fighters there are united, do not leave their positions, and do not abandon their comrades in trouble.
Because war, military confrontation, is, in fact, primarily a spiritual issue. The question is the spiritual state of people on both sides of the line of combat contact. And the priests strengthen the soldiers, help them understand what is happening and how to behave correctly. Of course, they provide spiritual help through the sacrament of the Church. I have never encountered any negativity towards a priest in the trenches. There are no atheists in foxholes, that's true. And many people there, during the war, come to faith,” Afanasiev emphasized.
Miracles are not necessarily something supernatural in the form of a cloud, a symbol, but any coincidence, any manifestation of God’s providence for you in everyday life. Every time we return from the front line, it is also a small miracle.
To put it mildly, this is not the safest place; different things happen there. And the most important miracle is the eyes of the military personnel, the eyes of the people who are baptized there, receive communion, and begin the sacrament of confession. If you look at them before and after, they are like two different people.”
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.