The war in Ukraine, the heresy of the “Russian world” and the destruction of Russian orthodoxy by the Putin regime were evoked on December 10 by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople during the World Politics Conference (WPC) in Abu Dhabi , the capital of the United States. United Arab Emirates. It brought together high-ranking religious leaders, scientists and opinion leaders with vast experience and international influence.

In his speech, the Honorary Head of World Orthodoxy highlighted the causes and effects of what is today Russian Orthodoxy, becoming the basis of the ideology of Putin’s regime, and Moscow’s policy with the obsessive idea of ​​”Russian Orthodox Church as the third Rome” is a fundamental factor in the division of the Orthodox world.

“During the Soviet Union, religion was marginalized and oppressed. Religion was replaced by communist ideology, and after its fall, faith was once again used for ideological purposes. The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has sided with President Vladimir Putin’s regime, especially after the election of Patriarch Cyril in 2009. He is actively involved in promoting the ideology of the “Russian world”, according to which language and religion can define a homogeneous whole covering Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, as well as other territories of the former Soviet Union and the diaspora. Both a political and a religious power, Moscow has become the center of this world whose mission is to fight against the decadent values ​​of the West,” the speaker said.

He pointed out that “this ideology is a tool to legitimize Russian expansionism and the basis of its Eurasian strategy”. He pointed to the “obvious connection with the past of ethnophilia and the present of the ‘Ruthenian world’, as a result of which faith becomes the basis of the ideology of the current regime. Patriarch Kirill’s ambiguous position on the war and his support for President Putin’s policies have drawn strong criticism in the Orthodox world and beyond. Even the Orthodox of Ukraine who have decided to remain under the protection of the Russian Church have expressed their disapproval,” he said. he declared. Bartholomew. He noted that Moscow was seeking to replace the Ecumenical Patriarchate, claiming it represented “the third Rome”. “This long-term policy of Moscow is a fundamental factor in the division of the Orthodox world”, underlined the patriarch.

According to him, the neo-imperial regime, lacking in self-admiration, attracted what he considered to be precious political capital: the revival of religious feelings among the Russian people. “Unfortunately, he was able to bring Orthodox clergy on this path (…), and the consequences are unfortunately very serious. The ethno-religious fanaticism instilled in Russian youth stifles the prospects for peace and reconciliation. The Orthodox world is divided, and this dismemberment is projected on poor countries whose peoples hoped to find salvation in faith. But above all, it harms the Russian Church itself, because sooner or later people will become aware of its excesses subordinated to goals that have nothing to do with its original mission,” said the Patriarch of Constantinople.