Russian Orthodox Church furious after World Council criticises Kirill

The war in Ukraine marked the first meeting day of the Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany, on Wednesday.

When Heike Springhart, Bishop of the Landeskirche in Baden (Germany), looked out over the streets of Karlsruhe on Saturday, on the eve of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC), she shared a sense of excitement. "The world is coming to Karlsruhe! A reason to be excited and moved."

The Russian Orthodox Church remains a member of the World Council of Churches. The Council, however, strongly condemned Russia's "illegal and unjustified" war of aggression in Ukraine.