As President Donald Trump's administration works towards the end of the diplomacy of war in Ukraine, leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) have said that Vladimir Putin's Russia actually fought “holy war” with the West They warn that they believe they are.
The delegation from the OCU was recently in the United States for the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC. The group was led by his beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany, all of Kiev's leaders, Ukraine.
His translator told Fox News about the raging spiritual war between Russia and Ukraine.
Eastern Orthodox Heads criticize Putin invasion of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend Easter Orthodox Church in Moscow on April 16, 2023 at the Cathedral of Christ and the Savior. (Contributor/Getty Images)
His prominent metropolitan Yevstratiy, the deputy director of external church relations for Ukrainian Orthodox churches, said of Russia, “From a religious viewpoint, this is liberation from the Ukrainians. [the] The Godless West from evil. And Russia brings light and truth to Ukraine. ”
Yevstratiy, and other church observers, such as Catholic intellectual George Weigel, have accused Russian orthodox churches of only the arms of the Kremlin, and are dressed in religious clothing, but Putin's He accused him of bidding.
Writing the first of the magazine, Weigel said, “…Ukraine maintained fierce resistance in February 2022, when Russian Putin denied the expected rapid victory, and maintained fierce resistance. defense.”
Lighthouse Faith PodcastYevstratiy recalled that at the start of the war, Moscow patriarch Kiril preached to Russian soldiers fighting Ukraine. Even outsiders who see the complexities of orthodox Christianity sound more like “political jihad” than the gospel.
In 2019, the Orthodox Church in Ukraine was recognized for its independence from the Russian Orthodox Church by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). It caused a fuss in Moscow. Kirill and Putin refused to acknowledge the authority of Patriarch Bartholomew.
“Putin's Confession” was named the bishop of the annexed Ukrainian territory.
Metropolitan Epiphanius will first consecrate Liturgical Service and St Andrew's Church on August 25, 2024 in Bucha, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine. (Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Yevstratiy also revealed a scary version of the war in Ukraine. He says Putin's ultimate goal is more than unity in the Soviet Union or the defense of Christian civilization. It's actually more apocalyptic. He focuses on the third and final pioneering in Rome…. In Moscow, he labels the rest of Christians, Catholics and Protestants, just like heretics and pagans.
Explaining the internal mechanisms of an orthodox church may seem like “internal baseball.” But these are the oldest churches of Christianity. They emerged from five ancient churches led by an apostle who personally knew Jesus.
The Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill will perform Easter service at Moscow's Savior Cathedral on Saturday, April 23rd. (Sergei Vlasov, Russian Orthodox Publishing via AP)
The apostle Andrew went east of Constantinople. Mark for Alexandria (Egypt). From Peter to Antioch (Rome); from James to Jerusalem, to Barnabas to Cyprus. From these men, along with the passage apostle Paul, Christianity spreads all over the world. Therefore, this conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deep spiritual roots. And Putin knows that.
Yestratiy and Epiphany attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, and heard President Trump declare his desire to be peace manager.
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Vestratiy said, “We pray and ask the Almighty God to bless this very good Christian desire.”
“May God bless Ukraine. May God bless America.”
The full interview is Lauren Green's Lighthouse Faith Podcast, including Apple, Spotify, and here.
