Moscow Patriarchate official: Church has no intention of intervening in conflict in Ukraine

Natalya Mihailova | 22 May 2014
Moscow, May 21, Interfax - Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the Information Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, said said attempts are being made to involve the Russian Orthodox Church in the political conflict in Ukraine and reiterated that the church can only be a participant in the peace settlement process.
Moscow Patriarchate official: Church has no intention of intervening in conflict in Ukraine
Vladimir Legoyda

“They are trying to involve the church in this conflict using all methods, but they don’t understand that the nature of church rules out such involvement and its position is the only constructive position in a situation when no political or other public force has nationwide legitimacy. All these things make the Church a necessary participant in the peace settlement process,” Legoyda told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday.

Legoyda said that, when some public forces try to present the church as caring for something different from the care for peace in Ukraine, they “deliberately distort the role played by the church in the life of people and society and evidentially exacerbate the situation, which is difficult as it is.”

Legoyda said that many people in conflicts do not even think that “someone is capable of looking at the world in a way that does not involve a political conflict.”

Since you are here…

…we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong.

Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable.

For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir.

If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life's purpose, family and society.