Unity and resistance: Orthodoxy summit in Istanbul against Russia's aggression

Unity and resistance: Orthodoxy summit in Istanbul against Russia's aggression

Istanbul, Türkei - In a powerful demonstration of the unit, the ecumenical patriarch Bartholomaios I and Metropolitan Epiphanij, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU), took a position at the celebrations for the "Sunday of Orthodoxy" in Istanbul. The two church leaders emphasized the need to call the world the brutally continuing Russian aggression against Ukraine. Metropolitan Epiphanij criticized the "satanic nature" of the conflict and described the continuing suffering of the Ukrainian people. As Domradio.de , he also emphasized the support for the support that Bartholomaios confirmed his solidarity for the unbroken resistance of the Ukrainian people.

criticism of Russia's aggression

Metropolitan Epiphanij, who traveled to Istanbul at the weekend, explained that Russia continued to "kill and destroy" and warned of the dangerous ideology of the "Russian world". These statements took place during his sermon in the Georgkathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where the support of the international orthodox community for Ukraine was urgently required. It is important that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was founded in 2018 with the support of Bartholomaios I. A survey showed that 60 percent of the Ukrainians of the new church are positively deployed, while the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is only 26 percent appealed, as kathpress.at determined.

The OKU was considered the urgent demand for an Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which was independent of Moscow, which became increasingly louder in view of the ongoing military conflicts between Prorussian separatists and the Ukrainian government. The new church was recognized by Bartholomaios I. as autokephal, which is an important step in the Orthodox community, even if this recognition is not divided unconditionally by many other Orthodox churches. Despite all the challenges, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine remains a symbol of national identity and resistance to Russian aggression.