Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Archbishop Yevstratiy Zoria/Facebook
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
A Ukrainian bishop has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin as the 'anti-Christ of our current time' amid the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Today, February 28, marks the fifth day since Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops across the border into Ukraine.
Putin partly justified the invasion on the basis of it being a defence of the Orthodox church.
However, Yevstratiy Zoria, a bishop and spokesperson for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has since called out the leader of the Kremlin as not being the 'messiah' but 'really [the] anti-Christ of our current time'.
In an interview for BBC's Global News Podcast with religion and ethics producer Harry Farley, Zoria criticised Putin's actions in the past five days, and his future actions, as going against 'God's law'.
Advert
He stated, 'Yes, he is anti-Christ because everything what he does, everything what he do now, is totally against gospel, against God’s law [sic].'
Ukraine's Orthodox Christian population is split between its patriarch in Moscow and an independent group based in the country's capital city of Kyiv, AP reports.
However, despite this religious divide, it is reported that Ukraine's Orthodox Christian population is united in the country's battle against Russia.
Surveys have also suggested that a majority of Ukraine's population is Orthodox Christian and that the minority of Catholics are still loyal to the pope and worship with Byzantine liturgy similar to the Orthodox, Fox News reports.
Epiphanius I, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and Metropolitan of Kyiv, joined Zoria in condemning Putin's invasion.
He said, 'With prayer on our lips, with love for God, for Ukraine, for our neighbours, we fight against evil — and we will see victory.'
Similarly, Metropolitan Onufry, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which is under the Orthodox patriarchy of Moscow, stated, 'Forget mutual quarrels and misunderstandings and [...] unite with love for God and our Motherland.'
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of more than 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, also called for an end to the fighting, as per Reuters. 'We address another plea to end the war now. To immediately stop any act of violence, anything that spreads pain and death,' he stated.
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, also made an unprecedented visit to the Russian embassy in Rome to express his concern over the current unfolding events in Ukraine.
In 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, Putin similarly referred to the countries' shared religious history.
In a speech given in July, 2021, Putin also referenced Ukraine and Russia's 'spiritual, human and civilizational ties formed for centuries [which] have their origins in the same sources, they have been hardened by common trials, achievements and victories'; a speech of which is reported as having possibly foreshadowed Putin's subsequent invasion of the Eastern European country.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information