Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church’s Relations with Society and Mass Media V.R. Legoida commented on the conflict in Ukraine and the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in an interview with the Indian TV channel NewsX World.
— Hello and welcome. You’re watching NewsX World and I’m Megha Sharma.
The Russian Orthodox Church has been a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has endorsed Russia’s military operation on Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill who leads the Church has described Ukraine - Russia conflict as a holy war. On the other hand, Ukraine terms the Church as an alleged instrument of Russian influence. In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which traditionally has ties to the Russian Orthodox Church has faced pressure and accusations of complicity with Russia.
At the same time, Pope Leo XIV has signaled the Vatican’s willingness to mediate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, a move requested by the United States of America and outrightly rejected by Russia. In the ongoing Ukraine - Russia conflict, the Churches have come to play an important role. Joining me today is Mr. Vladimir Legoida. He’s the spokesperson of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thank you, Mr. Legoida, for joining me.
And my first question to you is that Ukraine has banned the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, claiming that the Church supposedly is an instrument of Russian influence. How would you respond to these allegations?
— Hello and thank you very much for inviting me. It’s a rare opportunity for us to share our views of the situation. Well, I would say that the allegations that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an instrument of Russian influence are deeply misleading and even harmful.
First of all, we have to realize that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is what we call a self-governing Church with its own hierarchy and its traditions. Secondly, and it’s very important what you have to realize that Russian Orthodox Church is not a Church of Russian Federation. Even the word Russian in the title of the Russian Orthodox Church doesn’t refer to Russian Federation but rather it refers to historical notion of Russia including several countries. In other words, we say that our pastoral or canonical responsibility spreads in 15 countries today. So that’s why it’s a canonical unity not a political unity. And that’s why Ukrainian Orthodox Church doesn’t represent Russian political views in no way. And also we have to realize that Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been loyal to the Ukrainian state always. And it’s easy to check. So that’s why I think that this ban represents a violation of human rights of religious freedom in contemporary Ukraine that claims to be a democratic state.
Unfortunately, this tragic situation is overviewed by international society. Many times Patriarch Kirill addressed different political institutions, international institutions asking to pay attention to this situation but practically there was no answer. That’s why we still call upon the international community to condemn this situation, this suppression of religious liberty in Ukraine. And we think it’s a critical moment for solving the conflict.
— As such, Patriarch Kirill and the other leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church have in the past endorsed the spiritual blessings on the military equipment and the nuclear weapons. What is the Church’s stance on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine?
— Well, I’m sorry, but I have to say that your first statement is not entirely accurate. The thing is that the Church blesses people, soldiers, officers, generals, not the weapons. So the blessing of the Church is an act of pastoral care, but not some kind of magic act aimed at making the weapons more effective.
Military chaplain have a long and established history in providing spiritual guidance and support to soldiers, officers and so on. So this tradition is deeply rooted in European history, not just in Russian history but generally in European, in history of Christian countries. And speaking about the conflict as such, I would say that while the Church cannot stop wars, but we strive to mitigate the brutality and offer guidance, spiritual guidance to people who bear the burden of fighting. Well, that’s probably the most important thing that I’d like to say.
— And in view of the Russian Orthodox Church, what is the road to peace between Russia and Ukraine?
— Well, again and again I should say that this conflict is a tragedy because brothers fighting brothers and of course we’ve been praying for this conflict to stop and for the justful peace. The one of the reasons that this conflict started we believe it’s external influence, external for both Ukraine and Russia. That’s why if we cut this external influence it’ll be easy to solve the problem.
And also I would say that we should stop the ban of Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. It should be stopped because this is also one of the reasons why this conflict started and why it’s still going. And I would say that the true commitment to peace requires protecting religious freedom for all and of course for the Church as the legitimate canonical Church, which is actually, as we believe, the only legitimate and canonical Church in Ukraine — it’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church. So as I said we’ve been praying for the peace from the very beginning of the conflict.
— And finally before I let you go, what message do you want to give to the world on the 80th anniversary of the Victory Day?
— Well, thank you for this question because, as you probably know, the Victory Day for Russian country, for all the former Soviet countries I believe is a very important holiday. And for contemporary Russia, excluding religious holidays, Victory Day is the most important holiday that unites all the people, all the citizens.
And this 80th anniversary of the Victory Day first of all for us it’s time to remember the immense sacrifice made to defeat nazism and fascism. It’s a day of course to honor those who gave their lives for freedom and to express our deep gratitude to veterans who fought for this freedom. Of course, this anniversary is also a reminder of the importance of unity and international cooperation in the face of shared threats. I think that it’s clear in the contemporary world. I think that we must never forget the horrors of war and must work tirelessly to prevent future conflicts. So let’s pray for this.