An official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Legoida, head of the Synod’s PR and media department, voiced the position of the Moscow Patriarchate on whether believers should be allowed to take part in combat action.
“The Church, recognizing war as evil, does not forbid its children to take part in hostilities when it comes to protecting their loved ones and restoring justice. In this case, the war is a lesser evil than, say, the refusal to fulfill one’s duty to their homeland,” RG.RU wrote, referring Legoida’s interview with RIA Novosti.
The position of the Russian Church, as per Vladimir Legoida, is to condemn any war, but the ROC does not prohibit people’s participation in hostilities.
Judging by this excerpt, it becomes clear that the Moscow Patriarchate will completely side with Putin’s regime if it dares launch aggression against Ukraine, as the military incursion into Ukraine could easily be interpreted by Russian propagandists as “restoration of historical justice.”
In addition, “protection of neighbors” is also one of the favorite narratives applied by Kremlin officials, who have repeatedly stressed the need to take the most radical measures to “protect the rights of Russian speakers,” who are allegedly faced with persecution in Ukraine.
Thus, the ROC official has already assured the world and public that its participation in the peaceful settlement of conflict in the event of a possible full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine is ruled out.
