Orthodox Church supports Ukraine facing Putin's nuclear weapons threat

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church in a statement of the Synod supports Ukraine facing the threat of Putin’s nuclear weapons and asks Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church to call for peace

The threat of nuclear weapons (Vladimir Putin made it earlier) is mentioned in the statement, and full support was expressed for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Armed Forces defending it .

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church calls on His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to speak out “on the cessation of fratricidal bloodshed on Ukrainian soil and call on the leadership of the Russian Federation to immediately cease hostilities that are already threatening to turn into a world war.”

Beloved in Christ, Most Reverend bishops, fathers, brothers and sisters!

Dear Ukrainian people!

With sorrow and pain we are experiencing the fact that the war has come to our native Ukrainian land. Severe trials have befallen all of us. Fighting between the troops of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues almost throughout the territory of Ukraine, soldiers and civilians are dying, and the number of refugees is growing. Bringing nuclear weapons into a state of heightened combat readiness in general sharply calls into question the prospect of the continued existence of humanity and the whole world. In such a difficult situation, we call on everyone to be courageous, strengthen prayer and unite around the protection of our Motherland.

Addressing all our defenders today, we want to testify that we honor you and pray for you, because you, sacrificing your life, effectively testify about how you can fulfill the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: There is no greater love than if someone lays down his life for his neighbors (John 15:13).

For our part, we once again confirm that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has always supported and supports the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We fully share the pain and suffering of our people. On these crucial days, intense prayers are being offered in all churches and monasteries of our Church for the cessation of the war and the restoration of peace in Ukraine. With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy, dioceses and monasteries provide comprehensive assistance to refugees and all those who have suffered as a result of hostilities. Our temples are open around the clock for those who need protection during shelling. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is expanding its mission to help all those in need every day.

Realizing a special spiritual responsibility, we address today to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Your Holiness! We ask you to strengthen your prayer for the long-suffering Ukrainian people, to say your Primate’s word on the cessation of fratricidal bloodshed on Ukrainian soil and to call on the leadership of the Russian Federation to immediately cease hostilities that are already threatening to turn into a world war.

We also appeal to the President of Ukraine Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelensky and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. On behalf of the multi-million flock of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, we ask you to do everything possible to put an end to the sin of armed confrontation between our two fraternal peoples and begin the negotiation process. This terrible war has already dealt a heavy blow to relations between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples. If the bloodshed is not stopped, the gap between our peoples may remain forever.

The Ukrainian people, brothers and sisters! We hope that common sense will win, and this war will end soon. We ask each of you to keep peace among yourselves and not to succumb to provocations. Help each other, take care of each other. It is also important not to incite enmity among themselves. Only in unity is our strength. We pray to the Lord that He will enlighten the rulers with the light of His grace. We believe that the loving Lord will accept our prayer work and forgive us our sins. And in the near future, the peace of God will reign again on our blessed Ukrainian land!