ROME. A month after the sermon-shock with which he justified the war also as a fight against sinful life models, starting with those of Gay Pride, the Patriarch of Moscow returns to promote the conflict in Ukraine. In a celebration with the armed forces, Kirill defines Russia as “a country that loves peace”. And he assures us that “we have no desire for war or to do anything that could harm others. But we love our homeland and we will be ready to defend it in the way that only the Russians can defend their country ”. According to the leader of the Orthodox Church, very close to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, “most of the countries of the world are now under the colossal influence of a force, which today, unfortunately, is opposed to the strength of our people”. Here then is the call to arms: «We must also be very strong. When I say “we”, I mean, first of all, the armed forces but not only. All our people today must wake up, understand that a special time has come, on which the historical destiny of our people may depend ”. And then he invokes the help of the “Lord, so that we, peaceful, peace-loving and modest people, are together ready – always and in all circumstances – to protect our home”.
Thus Kirill reiterates the idea of a just war. The opposite of what Pope Francis constantly claims. The last time, the day before yesterday, on the plane that brought him back to Rome after a two-day visit to Malta. Speaking of the doubt about just and unjust wars, the Pontiff said that “every war is born of an injustice”. The words of Francis and Kirill are far from each other, but this distance does not hold back the diplomatic emissaries from Oltretevere and Moscow who are organizing the summit between the Pope and the Patriarch. As Francis himself confirmed: “We are thinking of the Middle East as a place”.
Father Antonio Spadaro, director of Civiltà Cattolica – whose drafts are seen by the Vatican Secretariat of State – commenting with the beraking latest news on the videoconference on March 16 between the Pope and Kirill, during which Bergoglio invited the Church not to use the language of politics, he observes that “the conflict also has a religious root and will hardly find a settlement without an ecumenical reconciliation. A serious, frank confrontation between religious leaders becomes important in the search for peace ».