Home page News
Patriarch Kirill: the Church has always been …

Patriarch Kirill: the Church has always been a guarantee of peace and unity of the Russian and Ukrainian people

On March 14, 2014, the Friday of the second week of Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the cathedral Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. Addressing the congregation after the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church dwelt on the situation that has developed as a result of the political crisis in Ukraine:

“Today all my thoughts are there, in Ukraine, among our faithful who are going through grave trials. For more than 400 years, attempts have been made to split and divide the Russian World. When we say ‘Russian’ it should not be interpreted in the way our ill-wishers do when they speak of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. We speak of the Russian world; we speak of the great Russian civilization that come out of the Kiev baptismal font to spread through the vast lands of Eurasia. It is this distinctive civilization based on Orthodoxy and the moral values of Orthodoxy that over 400 years has given no rest to those who sees in this peaceful civilization a challenge to their own ideological attitudes. And we know that whenever our Fatherland was attacked by enemies the main thing they wanted to do was to divide our people and especially to tear southern and western Russian lands from the one world.

Today there are independent states that exist in the expanses of this world, and we respect their sovereignty, their readiness and willingness to build their national life on their own. But it does not mean that the desire of lawful sovereignty and its realisation should be accompanied by destruction of the one common spiritual space. And today we pray that there may be no military clashes between the brothers, that once the people of the same faith and blood may not bring death and destruction to each other.

Therefore the principal prayer I say today is a prayer for peace in Ukraine, for peace in relations between the brothers who live both in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Our united Church has always been a guarantee of this peace and unity, and God grant that she may not be destroyed by external political forces.

I would like to say with a special joy that all the Orthodox Patriarchs, all the primates of Orthodox Churches have unanimously stated that there can be no other solution of the Ukrainian problem than a peaceful solution. There must be no attempt to use force, be it political or physical, to seize churches and monasteries. And there is no way of overcoming the schism other than bringing schismatics back to the fold of one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. All the heads of Churches signed this off; no one challenged it; no one made any other proposals, and this signal must be heard everywhere today, both in Russia and Ukraine and throughout the world.

We welcome the readiness of our Church to enter into negotiations with those who have been in division on the basis of the principles which have been formulated by the Synaxis of heads of autocephalous Orthodox Churches. And I very much hope that this common Orthodox position will be respected and no one will oppose the voice of universal Orthodoxy”.

Patriarchal Press Service

Share:
Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

Address by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the VIII World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad

30.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

Primate of the Russian Church celebrates Divine Liturgy in the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius Lavra on the commemoration day of St. Sergius of Radonezh

09.10.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers and Akathistos hymn to St. Sergius in the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

07.10.2024

Message from the Primate of the Russian Church to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia in connection with blasphemous act on the ruins of ancient Ulpiana

14.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates on the feast of the 300th anniversary of the transfer of relics of St.Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg

12.09.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates All-night Vigil at the Christ the Savior Cathedral on the eve of Transfiguration

18.08.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Ambassador of India to Russia

30.07.2024

Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III: Ukrainian government’s support for schism and persecution of the major canonical Church is a religious pogrom against the faithful Orthodox Christians of that country

24.07.2024

Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church consecrates the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Tver.

21.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Liturgy at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the saint

18.07.2024

The Primate of the Russian Church celebrates All-night Vigil at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius

17.07.2024

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrates Little Vespers at the Lavra of the Holy Trinity and St. Sergius and reads akathist to the saint

17.07.2024

Patriarchal condolences on the death of Boris A. Nelyubov

14.07.2024

Delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church takes part in COP29 Summit of Religious Leaders

06.11.2024

DECR chairman concludes his visit to India

03.11.2024

Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk meets with young Indian Christians

02.11.2024

Primate of Malankara Church of India receives Order of Glory and Honour, 1st Class

02.11.2024

DECR chairman takes part in church celebrations in India

02.11.2024

Telephone conversation held between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the Primate of the Malankara Church of India

01.11.2024

DECR Chairman has begun his visit to India

31.10.2024

Work of the Commission for Dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is declared successful

24.10.2024

Synod acknowledges importance of bilateral projects carried out in collaboration with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

24.10.2024

Order of Right-Believing Prince Daniel of Moscow presented to Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk by Patriarch Kirill

24.10.2024

DECR Chairman heads celebrations for the fifteenth anniversary of the consecration of the Dormition Church at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

19.10.2024

Saint Petersburg Theological Academy hosts conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) entitled ‘The Person of Metropolitan Nikodim in the History of the Church’.

16.10.2024

DECR Chairman meets with President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference

15.10.2024

Participants of the Divine Service at the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Presnya congratulated the DECR Chairman on his 40th birthday.

12.10.2024

Russian diplomat given Patriarchal award.

10.10.2024

Metropolitan Hilarion: Many things in a person's life depend on faith

29.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Holy Spirit is the main treasure of the Christian soul

01.08.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: Holiness is a constant striving to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ

27.06.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: God does not want to condemn, but to save us

07.03.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord always grants to us the opportunity to display our talents

24.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: The Lord has imbued the waters of Jordan with his divine presence to wash away human sins

19.01.2021

Metropolitan Hilarion: to repent means to change your way of life

17.01.2021

On commemoration day of St. Catherine, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk officiated at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr In-the-Fields  the representation of the Orthodox Church in America

07.12.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We can always show compassion for people

29.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates on commemoration day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn at the church of ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ icon of the Mother of God

19.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: We should remember that the life of each human being is in the hands of God

06.11.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: For God there is nothing impossible

25.10.2020

Metropoplitan Hilarion: The cross which was an instrument of dishonourable execution becomes the symbol of salvation for millions of people

27.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Eucharist is the wedding feast, to which Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us

13.09.2020

Metropolitan Hilarion: Faith alone is not enough for salvation

30.08.2020

Page is available in the following languages
Feedback

Fields marked by * are mandatory required

Send a message
Рус Укр Eng Deu Ελλ Fra Ita Бълг ქარ Срп Rom عرب