There can be no “passive stance” when it comes to confronting the danger, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church has said
Meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the activists of the Committee of Families of Soldiers of the Fatherland. © foto.patriarchia.ru
The entire planet is threatened by the “evil” that Moscow is currently fighting, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said on Tuesday. The Russian world is a significant part of human civilization, meaning the threat it is facing could lead to “terrible consequences” for nations everywhere, he added.
The Christian leader made the comments as he addressed the mothers and wives of Russian servicemen taking part in the military operation against Ukraine.
Describing the threat to Russia as “evil,” Patriarch Kirill insisted it must be combatted to prevent it from spreading, also declaring that a “passive stance” was not an option. “If we pretend that nothing is happening, if we do not react or do not want to react, then evil begins to expand like a shagreen skin, and absorb healthy cells of the body,” the Orthodox leader stated.
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The patriarch further described the female audience members, who were from the Committee of the Families of the Fatherland’s Warriors (CFWO), as “a true force of spirit” while praising their contribution to their country as “invaluable.” He emphasized that the work of the organization was significant as the family serves as a link between generations, “passing on to children the true values of the Orthodox faith and love for the Fatherland.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated last month that the military operation against Ukraine was not only for national sovereignty and the well-being of the Russian people, but was also a fight “for the freedom of the whole world.” The “dictatorship of one hegemon is becoming decrepit” and dangerous for others, Putin claimed, adding that Russia was “at the forefront of building a fairer world order.”
According to the president, Moscow is opposing Russophobia and other forms of racism and neo-Nazism that “have almost become the official ideology of Western ruling elites.”
