The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) shares responsibility for the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the crimes committed.

This was stated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Reuters reports.

Bartholomew, who angered Moscow in 2019 by recognizing the newly created Orthodox Church of Ukraine, said the Kremlin was using the Russian Orthodox Church as a "tool to achieve its strategic goals."

"The Church and the state leadership of Russia cooperated in committing the crime of aggression and shares responsibility for crimes such as the shocking kidnapping of Ukrainian children," the Ecumenical Patriarch said.

He assured that he is ready to help in the "spiritual revival" of Russia after the war.

"Our interfaith dialogue must focus on ways to confront and neutralize the ability of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate to undermine unity and legitimize criminal behavior. It is our shared Christian duty to use the power of dialogue to bring our Russian brothers and sisters back to our community of shared values." Bartholomew added.

Earlier it was reported that the priests of the UOC MP started collecting signatures with an appeal to Patriarch Bartholomew to initiate the highest church court against Moscow Patriarch Kirill.

Patriarch Kirill blessed the occupiers to kill Ukrainians and declared that the mobilized Russians who die in Ukraine will go to heaven.

Read also:

  • Onufriy called Zelensky "Olexandr Volodymyrovych": how did the visit of members of the UOC MP synod to the President's Office end

  • He supported the occupiers: border guards detained a UOC MP priest at the entrance to Kyiv

  • Patriarch Kirill hinted at the application of the nuclear doctrine of the Russian Federation in the main church of the Russian Guard

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