Russian Patriarch wants “just peace” but is not pacifistic

Kirill called for an end to the war, which he called destructive. “The establishment of peace and the spiritual unity of all our people is our prayer today”, he said in a sermon on Monday, according to Union of Orthodox Journalists based on an article from Interfax.

Yet, the Russian Patriarch is not in favour of just any sort of peace. He wants to keep “very far from what is called pacifism in Western language”, he added to his statement. Kirill sees pacifism as the struggle for peace under any circumstances and any conditions, he explained.

Instead, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church is only in favour of peace that is founded in justice. “Therefore, there must be a lasting peace. And therefore, it is necessary that by the power of God all these diabolical thoughts be eradicated from the consciousness of people who do not strive for the unity of Holy Russia”, he said. It should be noted that the doctrine of Holy Russia traditionally sees Ukraine as part of the Russian empire as well.

The idea that Kirill is referring to Ukraine as part of Russia is strengthened by his statement that he was talking about a single people (the Ukrainians and the Russians, ed.) who “want to live in a big house.” Patriarch Kirill believes in a complete reconciliation of Ukraine and Russia, Union of Orthodox Journalists writes.