Source: National Catholic Register
The Russian Orthodox Church will send a delegation to the congress, but Kirill will not go.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow will not attend an interreligious summit in Kazakhstan in September, where it was hoped he would meet with Pope Francis to discuss a peaceful resolution to the six-month-long war in Ukraine.
The Pope will travel to the Central Asian nation for the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the city of Nur-Sultan on Sept. 13-15.
The Russian Orthodox Church will send a delegation to the congress, but Kirill will not go, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the head of the Russian Church’s Department for External Church Relations, told RIA-Novosti.
There had been speculation that the two religious leaders—who met in Havana, Cuba, in 2016—might meet in person, possibly in Jerusalem, to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Kirill has publicly supported.
“However, in the spring of this year, to our deep surprise, the Vatican unilaterally publicly announced that preparations for the meeting had been suspended, and that this meeting itself wouldn’t take place,” Metropolitan Anthony told RIA-Novosti.
The Holy See has said it stands ready to mediate peace talks between the two countries.
At the end of his general audience Wednesday, Pope Francis, marking the six-month anniversary of the fighting, asked for prayers for “the beloved Ukrainian people who have been suffering the horrors of war for six months now.”
5 Comments
In my humble opinion, Patriarch Kirill is a very evil man, along with Vladimir Putin. Orthodox Christians are murdering other Orthodox Christians? A disgrace!! Did our Lord not say, “Blessed are the peacemakers?” Many peace organizations believe the mere possession of nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity. President Biden should not be supplying Ukraine with weapons. NATO should be disbanded at once. How can we provoke the Russian bear, which is armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons in the kilo tons? Did you know that after China, the US is the second largest polluter in the world? Did you know the US is the world’s largest arms exporter? When we have one autocephalous Orthodox Church in America, I hope we will denounce war in the strongest possible terms. As the late John L. McKenzie stated, ” If we know anything about Jesus of Nazareth in the gospels, we know He was completely nonviolent. It is the clearest of teachings.” If we ignore our Lord’s teachings on nonviolence, we have no right to claim that we are Orthodox Christians or followers of Christ. In essence, it makes us atheists because we refuse to follow His teachings. If we fail to follow HIs teachings, it means we don’t believe He is God. Lord, have mercy on us for our unbelief.
Peter,
Some thoughts in no particular order:
We live in a fallen world. The existence of evil cannot be denied. Only at the second coming will it be safe for the lamb to lie down with the wolf.
The possession of nuclear weapons is a deterrent against their use (i.e., the post-WWII doctrine of MAD – Mutual Assured Destruction).
Would Russia have invaded Ukraine if Ukraine had not given up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for guarantees of its territorial integrity? The US, UK, Russia and Ukraine agreed that if Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, Russia would never invade Ukraine. How did that work out?
How much are these types of guarantees worth? Weren’t Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom supposed to guarantee the territorial integrity of Cyprus?
Rather than guaranteeing Cyprus’s territorial integrity, Turkey invaded and still occupies over 1/3rd of Cyprus.
Rather than guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Russia invaded and is still trying to destroy Ukraine by stealing its art and history from museums and targeting its civilians and infrastructure.
I’m for peace and against war.
Ronald Reagan was for “Peace through strength.” The Cold War ended without a hot war because the US proved to the leaders of the Soviet Union that the US system was more powerful militarily, economically, and in its defense of individual liberty than Communism.
Advocating for unilateral disarmament by the US and the West will only guarantee that we will all live under godless totalitarian regimes.
Greetings Cato the Elder,
I think Tertullian said it best: “When Christ disarmed St. Peter in the garden, He disarmed every soldier.” St. Patrick said, “Killing is not of Christ.” Father Emmanuel Charles stated, “Murder decorated with a ribbon is still murder.” I am a complete and total pacifist because our Lord taught nonviolent love of friends and enemies – no exceptions. For the first three hundred years, Christians refused to kill or serve in the military. The US has a “defense budget” of 868 billion dollars this year thanks to our military-industrial complex. By the way, Ronald Reagan came very close to igniting a nuclear war in 1983 through his bellicose rhetoric and actions in Europe. Those who advocate for war or weaponry are not following the Christ of the gospels. “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Peter,
Linking war with weaponry strikes me as sophistry.
Advocating for war and advocating for weaponry are not the same.
Count me among those who believe that disarming America and her allies invites war.
I also believe that arming America and her allies is a deterrent to war.
I decry the waste and mismanagement embedded in the defense budget and military-industrial complex (and support efforts to eliminate such waste and mismanagement). At the same time I support the men and women who volunteer to serve in our armed services and police in order to keep the rest of us safe.
Including those who can afford to be complete and total pacifists because of the protection extended to them by those who serve and protect.
Greetings Cato the Elder,
I want to wrap up our conversation. Thus far, I know nothing about you personally. For all I know, you could be a Christian nationalist. You have not mentioned one word about the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Instead of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, it seems that you have been espousing the gospel of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Instead of using words like sophistry, may I suggest that you read The Sermon on the Mount every day until it becomes a part of you , and watch the movie The Passion of the Christ? Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was and is completely nonviolent- now and forevermore. Violence belongs to the reign of Satan, and the unfruitful works of darkness, End of discussion!! Period!! Thank you!!