I was halfway through writing a wonderfully fun article on the turning of the season when I saw a report that the Russian Orthodox Patriarch stated that all Russians that die in battle will have all of their sins forgiven.
It stopped me in my tracks. Russia invaded Ukraine for no valid reason. They have spent months killing civilians and military personal fighting to defend their home country. Now the Russian Church has turned into a mouthpiece for this genocide and promises eternal salvation for those who die in this offensive war. Patriarch Kirill went so far as to compare the sacrifice of Christ to that of Russian Soldiers. This is against all Christian reasoning and theology. Christ never fought in a war. Throughout all of Christ’s ministry he fought against the oppression of good people by tyrannical authorities. The idea that Jesus offers salvation not because of faith in God, but instead because of participation in a vindictive war brought on by petty individuals, is completely inappropriate.
Even more troubling is the fact that more than 90% of Christians in Russia are members of the Russian Orthodox church. For almost all Christians inside Russia, this absurd theology is the only opinion they hear. They will not hear Pope Francis’s public address stating, “In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre,” calling the invasion an act of “unacceptable armed aggression.” They will not hear the number of other ministers and priests around the world that have condemned this act. They will not even be able to read this article.
In their own country, religious voices have been silenced as Russia continues it mobilization for war. In the beginning months of the conflict Russian parishes independently began to rid themselves of connection to the Russian Patriarch, removing Kirill’s name for church worship. However, inside Russia, those churches have now too been silenced.
I wish that I had a better topic to write about for this article. I wish I could have written a loving piece about the changing colors of leaves, bonfires, and hayrides. However, I couldn’t. It is not that there is much any of us can do to stop this, but still, we must acknowledge the problem with religious statements like this one. Jesus is not for war. Hopefully, we can come together as a community of faith and pray for a peaceful end to this senseless war.