Russian Orthodox Church Conference: ‘The War on Ukraine Is a Sacred War’

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), together with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, has held a conference on Jan. 25 titled “Sacred War: Transformation of Russia,” dedicated to Russia’s war on Ukraine, reports the Telegram channel of the Military Department of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The event, which took place at the Central House of the Russian Army, was led by Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol. He said in his speech: “The Church has always been, is and will be with its people, with its army. To date, 707 priests of the Russian Orthodox Church have made out more than 2,000 trips to the zone of the Special Military Operation.”

While chaplains in democratic countries provide spiritual and psychological assistance to soldiers and conscripts, the Russian priests on the front have nothing to do with chaplaincy. The objective of their presence is to support troop morale so that Russia can win what it deems is a Holy War against Ukraine.

Archbishop Pitirim is under Ukrainian sanctions for propaganda and support for the war against Ukraine.

According to Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol, Chairman of the Synodal Department, soldiers “reveal their best qualities” after communicating with clerics and some in the trenches even “no longer shy away from Christian symbols.”

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu sent a greeting to the conference participants, saying that in Ukraine Russian soldiers are standing “on guard for our Fatherland” and “courageously fulfilling their military duty.”

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According to Archbishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar Eparchy, God will save the world through Putin: “Through Vladimir Putin our Savior will save the whole world. Holy Russia would have been destroyed, but it won’t fall with the Chosen One.”

Archbishop Pitirim is under Ukrainian sanctions for propaganda and support for the war against Ukraine.