This month in Russia [le 6 mars, lors du dimanche du Pardon, qui marque l’entrée dans le carême dans la liturgie orthodoxe], Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2009, has once again shown his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s death machine in Ukraine. Kirill believes God is on Russia’s side even as Putin’s forces bomb maternity hospitals and the corpses of mutilated men, women and children are found in Ukrainian towns recently occupied by Russian troops , like Boucha.
A war against Western impiety
In many ways, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has turned into a holy war for Russia. The geopolitical ambitions of the master of the Kremlin are closely linked to faith: like former US President Donald Trump, Putin has crafted a mixture of nationalism, faith and conservative values in the name of restoring the “Roussky mir” (“Russian world”). And Kirill stands by his side, he who shares his homophobic opinions. Freedom House, an association for the defense of democracy [financée par le gouvernement américain et installée à Washington]sees Putin’s anti-LGBTQI rants as proof of a “state homophobia” which serves to establish its domination over Russia, and ensures: “The control of gender and sexuality always tops the list of Russian national and international political agendas.”
Kirill’s latest warlike statements come on a sacred date in the Julian calendar: Orthodox Easter. On April 24, Ukrainians celebrated this day, known as Easter (“great day”) in Ukraine, an important holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For many, it is a moment that symbolizes rebirth. About 70% of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians.
But this year the party was not nearly as joyful as it usually is, with the pyssanky – the traditional painted eggs – and the Easter – Easter bread. Instead, the celebrations were marked by misfortune, as Russia continues its brutal offensive in Ukraine and nearly 7.7 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes. Still, some have spared no effort to go out and have their baskets of food and eggs blessed by priests: a semblance of normality amid terrible disorder and chaos.
Russia may be under an information blackout, but Kirill knows full well what happened in Mariupol and Kharkiv, Ukraine. Kirill’s support for war is rooted in his homophobia.
On March 6, Forgiveness Sunday, he delivered a sermon in which he implied that the West had been undertaking for years to“crush and exterminate people in the Donbass” because “the Donbass rejects, it fundamentally rejects the so-called values which are today put forward by those who claim world power”. Specifically, he added, residents of Donbass had refused to organize parades for Gay Pride; therefore, the West sought to destroy them.
Divine Lightnings
On this day of deep reverence, when people are supposed to pray for forgiveness, Kirill fanned the flames of hatred. He launched that there could be no “pardon sans justice”. Otherwise, it would be a capitulation, an admission of weakness. He also spoke about justice