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    STATEMENT OF ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY ON THE INVASION OF UKRAINE

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    By on Governance & Unity Essays, Governance & Unity News, OCL News, Orthodox Christian Laity

    PRESS RELEASE

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 28, 2022 — The Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) denounces the horrific and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military under the orders of President Putin and the attempt to bestow religious legitimacy to the war by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

    The indiscriminate and unjustifiable bombing of innocent civilian population centers including schools and hospitals, the rapes, mass executions and war crimes committed by Russian soldiers have shocked the entire world. Millions have been forced to flee their homes as refugees from a brutal war in which Orthodox Christians have been ordered by their political and religious leaders to kill other Orthodox Christians.

    In 1917, Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, formerly Bishop of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska and Archbishop of North America, in response to the actions of the Bolshevik government, stated: “…free the imprisoned, cease the bloodshed, violence, destruction, persecution of the faith…Otherwise you will have to answer for all the righteous blood shed by you (Luke 11.51), and you who have taken the sword will perish by the sword (Matt. 26.52).” Because of his continuous opposition to government policies to restrict and infiltrate the Church, the Bolsheviks martyred Patriarch Tikhon in 1925.

    We call upon Patriarch Kirill and all faithful Orthodox Christians in Russia to follow the courageous example of St. Tikhon and other martyrs of Orthodoxy by demanding an immediate end to the killing and destruction of their brothers and sisters in Ukraine. Let us pray that they will use every means at their disposal to swiftly turn the swords into plowshares by opposing persistently and unequivocally the dehumanizing violence and destruction in Ukraine.

    May our risen Lord Jesus Christ during these forty days following the celebration of the Resurrection by Orthodox Christians globally, move hearts, minds and mountains to end the bloodshed and destruction in Ukraine and bring lasting peace before Pentecost.

    George D. Karcazes, Secretary, Orthodox Christian Laity

    [OCL is a 35-year old 501(c)(3) educational ministry advocating for the administrative unity, accountability, transparency and conciliar governance of all Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in America as one local, autocephalous Church.]

    CONTACT: David Oancea, Executive Director / ocladmin@ocl.org

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    6 Comments

    1. Justina on

      You are so gullible! American research into the dirty deeds of the CIA and others proves Putin’s claim of nazification of Ukraine, which itself was an artificial creation of the German General Staff specifically General Ludendorff. The bodies on the street at Bucha weren’t there the day before just after the Russians left, but arrive later. It’s fraud!

      Reply
    2. V on

      Dear brothers and sisters in America.
      The most terrific truth is that the Orthodox believers in Russia and Belarus are the most enthusiastic part of the society who support Putin’s regime. They really worship Putin.
      I’m from Belarus.

      Reply
    3. Iyad Jabbour on

      Very true…had it come from someone who doesn’t bow in front of a Church divider (Bart the Pat of Istanbul)!
      So please relieve us from the alligator’s tears! Instead of doing your real job and ask for the end of the EP for his evil doings, you are releasing statements calling others wrong. But hey, what can you do with lefties!? I leave that to God!!

      Reply
    4. Cato the Elder on

      Wow! Three reminders of May Day under the Soviet Union.

      The three May Day commentators (1) deny statehood/self-determination to Ukraine; (2) blame the CIA, the Nazi’s, and the Ecumenical Patriarch for everything; and (3) Affirm that Orthodox believers in Russia and Belarus worship Putin!

      What a trifecta!

      Do they also miss those People’s Paradise parades in Red Square on May 1st?

      Is it still called Red Square?

      Reply
      • Iyad Jabbour on

        See the delusion continues, as if I didn’t go through all this before in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon etc. Am sure the CIA are innocent! What’s a Trifecta is to see the Western world as innocent of the blood of the sheep while blame Orthodox countries! Wow CIA can easily delude people, or do you think people are just blind!?

        Reply
    5. Iyad Jabbour on

      It’s more than obvious now: if you are a leftie, you support Bartholomew of Istanbul and his bosses; if you are a rightie, you support Russia. Just to make sure we are on the same page, I don’t support any War supported by the Moscow Church, but I definitely support Russia in pushing back the evil of Western World!

      Reply
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