Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, influential figures in Ukraine have tried to turn to Russian Patriarch Kirill, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church, to which most Ukrainian citizens belong, and ask for his help in trying to persuade Putin to refrain from mass killings and abandon the idea of Ukrainian occupation. But the church ignores the request
Despite repeated appeals, Russian Patriarch Kirill, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church, to which most of Ukraine’s citizens belong, refuses to persuade Putin to refrain from killing and occupying Ukraine. This policy led to great outrage on the part of Ukrainian believers who made it clear that they would not continue to support the Russian Orthodox Church, after it abandoned them to their fate and continued to support its political patron Vladimir Putin who strengthened its power within Russia itself.
In contrast, the Catholic Church, to which the vast majority of Christians in Ukraine are not affiliated at all, was quick to issue statements of support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, repeatedly calling for an end to Russian occupation of Russia.
Leading this move is Pope Francis, who even scheduled a meeting with Russian Patriarch Kiril, even before the outbreak of war, in an attempt to ease tensions in the region. The meeting did not take place because by the time it was set, war had already broken out in Ukraine. Yesterday (Tuesday) Francis added another tier to his public statements, designed to express unreserved support for Ukraine, and to entice Ukrainians to join the Catholic Church.
“I am ready to travel to Moscow and meet with President Putin at any given moment,” the pope said. In his remarks, Francis hinted that Putin may indeed be suffering from a serious illness as claimed by various sources, and as a result he is prevented from meeting with strangers. In this context some argue that this is why Putin has been conducting his meetings lately as he sits at the head of an extra-long table, and his guests from his other past.
Another statement made by the Pope yesterday in this regard concerns the date of the end of the war. Francis said Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Urban had told him that Putin intended to end the military operation in Ukraine by May 9, that is, next Monday, the date on which Russia marks the annual celebrations for the victory over the Nazis at the end of World War II. This contradicts the assessments of various Western sources who believe that on May 9, Putin will announce the expansion of the military operation, and a full-scale war against Ukraine, and possibly against other countries in the region.