Patriarch Bartholomew: Russian Orthodox Church responsible for crimes committed by Russia

18:03, 22.03.2023 1 min read

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) shares responsibility for the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the crimes committed, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said on Wednesday, March 22, according to Reuters.

“The church and the state leadership in Russia cooperated in the crime of aggression and shared the responsibility for the resulting crimes, like the shocking abduction of the Ukrainian children,” the patriarch said and stressed that the Russian authorities use the church as “instrument for their strategic objectives.”

He also said that he is ready to help in the post-war "spiritual regeneration" of Russia.

“Our interreligious dialogue has to focus on ways to resist and neutralize the capacity of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate to undermine unity and to theologically legitimize criminal behavior,” Bartholomew said.