Patriarch Kirill: Sufferings of the Ukrainian people deeply wound my heart

Representatives of the ROC and the RCC in the Danilov Monastery. Photo: website of the Moscow Patriarchate

Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church at a meeting with the negotiator of the Vatican, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, said that the Churches should serve the cause of peace and justice, and the situation in Ukraine is very painful for him. This is reported by the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

According to the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, his flock is "both in Russia and in Ukraine, and in other countries." “That is why the sufferings of the Ukrainian and Russian people deeply hurt my heart,” said the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Because, as he assured Zuppi, "we use and will use all means so that this terrible conflict ends as soon as possible, so that there are as few victims as possible."

He warned the cardinal about the "real threat of a major global armed conflict" between the Russian Federation and the West and stressed the importance of combining the efforts of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church "in order to prevent such possible developments."

“Against the backdrop of many risks and many dangers, the Churches can work together to prevent the negative development of political circumstances and serve the cause of peace and justice,” assured Patriarch Kirill.

In his opinion, "Churches should not step aside but should take part in the work aimed at reconciliation, the development and establishment of stronger relationships, and most importantly – the development of mutual understanding."

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church also informed the cardinal "of the persecution that communities, clergy and believers of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church are subjected to."

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Patriarch Kirill urged those who raised arms against their brothers to “think again”.

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