To the Governments of the United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, China,
European Union Member States, to the Churches’ and Public Institutions which cooperate with the Moscow Patriarchate
Statement of the representatives of the civil society of Ukraine ‘On the responsibility of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate for unleashing aggressive war against Ukraine by Russian Military
The need to put the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate
on the international sanctions list
Ukrainians are very grateful to all who have joined in the formation and adoption of deterrent financial and political sanctions against the aggressor country, the Russian Federation. Of great importance in the overall list of countermeasures against the aggressor are personal sanctions, which impose personal responsibility on politicians and businessmen of the Russian Federation for the preparation and implementation of the military invasion of Ukraine. And, consequently, for the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainians.
However, the role that the hierarchy of the Moscow Patriarchate has played and continues to play in justifying and validating military aggressions by the Russian political leadership in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine remains out of sight of the international community. After all, it is the Moscow Patriarchate and personally its acting head, Patriarch Kirill who has been the creator and long-time promoters of the “Russian world” ideology. This ideology over time has become an effective means of implanting the idea of superiority and exclusivity of Russian culture, language, and Moscow-style Orthodoxy.
This doctrine was condemned by renowned world theologians (“Declaration on the “Russian World” (“Russkii mir”) Teaching” // https://www.acadimia.org/en/news-announcements/press/963-a-declaration-on-the-russian-world-russkii-mir-teaching), since in its essence it is a neo-imperialist geopolitical and ideological doctrine, which asserts Russian messianism and imperialism. Therefore, this latest heresy (from the theological standpoint) promotes Orthodox ethnophilia fundamentalism (superiority of the ethnic over the religious), totalitarianism, and chauvinism. This doctrine is used as a justification for Russia’s invasion of other nations in order to restore the collapsed Soviet Union. In fact, this teaching turns into the nowadays socio-political doctrine of Russia and proclaims that there is some sort of supernational Russian-speaking space or separate civilization “Holy Russia” with a political center in Moscow, a common Russian language, and a common Church, the Moscow Patriarchate. The political leader of this entity is Putin, and its spiritual leader is Patriarch Kirill.
Such chauvinist-nationalist attitudes do not leave other peoples the right to their own language, culture, and religion, or declare the latter as inferior, such that they are not even worth the development and have no future. The logical consequence of the “Russian world” politics is the gradual elimination of national languages and cultures in the territories occupied by Russia, as well as destroying those Orthodox communities that were not part of the Moscow Patriarchate. The affirmation of this doctrine is accompanied by systematic cases of harassment and persecution of religious non-Orthodox leaders who do not support Russian aggressive politics.
It is not uncommon for clerics of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine and Belarus to cooperate openly or covertly with the occupying Russian military forces. Sometimes such cooperation goes beyond not only religious canons, but also human moral norms and principle. Agitation for a chauvinistic “Russian world” with the help of Orthodox clerics has existed and continues. Under conditions of war, this poses a significant threat not only to the national security of Ukraine, but also to the world as a whole.
On the basis of the above, we ask everyone on whom it depends to make efforts to include in the international sanctions list (with all economic and political consequences) Patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundyaev Vladimir Mikhailovich) and his closest associates directly involved in the development and propaganda of the “Russian world’s” doctrine.
Namely:
– Metropolitan Hilarion (Grigoryi Valeryevich Alpheyev), head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for the External Church Relations, vicar to the patriarch;
– Metropolitan Onufry (Orest Vladimirovich Berezovsky), a permanent member of the ROC Synod, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow patriarchate (UOC MP);
– Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa and Izmail (Savvin Alexei Mikhailovich), permanent member of the Synod of the UOC MP;
– Metropolitan Veniamin (Tupeko Vitaly Ivanovich), a permanent member of the Synod of the ROC, Patriarchal Exarch of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate.
To join the list of signatories of this appeal, please fill out the following form:
https://forms.gle/pp4VF5nh3EDe7C9G8