A Russian Orthodox church in Amsterdam has announced it is to split with the Moscow patriarchate, in the first known instance of a western-based church cutting ties over the invasion of Ukraine.

“The clergy unanimously announced that it is no longer possible for them to function within the Moscow patriarchate and provide a spiritually safe environment for our faithful,” the clergy said in a statement posted on its website. “This decision is extremely painful and difficult for all concerned.”


The head of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, a trusted ally of Vladimir Putin, has declined to condemn the Kremlin’s decision to invade its neighbour, referring to Russia’s opponents in Ukraine as “evil forces”. In a Sunday sermon last week he also said gay pride parades organised in the west were part of the reason for the war in Ukraine.

The statement said the Russian Orthodox parish of Saint Nicholas of Myra had asked the Russian archbishop of the diocese of the Netherlands, who is based in The Hague, to grant the church “canonical dismissal”.

The clergy of the parish said they had requested to join the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Istanbul-based Orthodox branch, seen as a rival to the Russian Orthodox church.

Kirill’s position on the war has led to unease among some Russian Orthodox priests who object to the invasion of a country often referred to as a “brotherly nation” in religious circles.


More than 280 Russian Orthodox priests and church officials from around the world signed an open letter expressing their opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It said “eternal [b]torment” awaited those who gave “murderous orders”.

The Russian Orthodox church in Amsterdam, which consists of four priests and a deacon – one of the biggest Russian Orthodox congregations in the Netherlands – has been critical of Russia’s role in the war since the start of the invasion on 24 February.

It said last week it would no longer mention the name of Patriarch Kirill in its liturgy because of his backing for the invasion of Ukraine. “We as the clergy of St Nicholas parish in Amsterdam have expressed our shock at the invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation … We distance ourselves from Patriarch Kirill’s narrative,” it wrote on its Facebook page.[/b]


The statement went against the official policy of the Russian Orthodox church not to use the word “war” and “invasion” to describe Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

The Russian priests in Amsterdam told the Dutch outlet ND that Archbishop Elisey of the Netherlands visited their church afterwards, warning that “Moscow was watching their actions closely”.

The Amsterdam church held a closed session on Sunday in which the head of the parish reiterated the decision to break with Moscow. “We asked our former Patriarch Kirill to stop the war. Unfortunately, this did not happen,” he said in a video address posted on the church’s YouTube page.


A Russian member of the church’s choir who was standing outside the church told the Guardian she supported the decision to separate from Moscow. “Once the war started, there was only one way out of this,” she said, asking not to give her name.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also been criticised by other Christian religious leaders, including the head of Patriarchate of Constantinople, Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and Pope Francis, who on Sunday issued his toughest condemnation yet of the invasion, saying the “unacceptable armed aggression” must stop.

Bartholomew, considered to be the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians, earlier said Putin had committed “a great injustice” by going to war against his “coreligionists” and had “earned the hatred of the whole world”.

In 2018 the Russian Orthodox church cut ties with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, seen as the spiritual authority of the world’s Orthodox Christians, after Bartholomew granted independence to the Ukrainian Orthodox church, which was previously under Moscow’s control.

neonly:
Why is Putin and buhari are wicked like dis always like seeing people suffer for no good reason

Igbofam:


https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/13/russian-orthodox-church-in-amsterdam-announces-split-with-moscow

MaxInDHouse:
A stitch in time saves nine!

Where were they and what have they been doing when Jehovah's Witnesses were teaching their own members not to participate in WARS? Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3

Femiwilli:
I don't get churches these days

Most are led by occult members like RCCG is led & full of freemasons

Xiparo:
Russia is slowly phasing out

Collapse of Soviet Union

1. Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (1989)
2. Détente: Cooperation between Superpowers - During the Cold War President Nixon and Brezhnez conducted SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) conferences and signed a treaty limiting the number of missiles each country can have.

3. USSR and Afghanistan Cooperation/Détente Ends • 1979-1988 • USSR backed the Afghan government; the US backed the Mujahedeen rebels • US boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow • 14,000 Soviet dead; 1+million Afghans –Over 5 million Afghans fled (more than 1/3 of the population) –10-15 million land mines still in Afghanistan –Soviets withdrawal defeated
4. - Soviet economic collapse - Nationalism in Warsaw Pact countries - Tearing down of Berlin Wall - Breakup of the Soviet Union Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

5. Nationalism in Warsaw Pact Countries 1. Gorbachev’s pullout from Afghanistan and his policy of Non-Intervention gave rise and momentum to Warsaw Pact nationalism movements. 2. Soviet/Warsaw Pact countries resented Soviet control and wanted to direct their own governments.
6. Tearing Down the Berlin Wall 1. East Germany elected a more moderate Communist government, but many not satisfied; allowed people to leave East Germany 2. November 9, 1989 – the Brandenburg Gate opened and people began tearing down the wall 3. Tearing down Berlin Wall symbolized and helped lead to fall of Communism in Eastern Europe; East Germany & Czechoslovakia 4. Gorbachev and President Reagan given credit for being most responsible for the end of the Cold War

7. Ronald Reagan: U.S. President 1980-88 “Tear down this wall”
8. Brandenburg Gate Fall of the wall news broadcast
9. Soviet Economic Collapse 1. Over-spending on arms race weakened government & economy 2.Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev tried to reform the USSR economy in two plans a. perestroika – restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system - Weakened Russian economy in short-term b.glasnost – “Openness” freed public access to information after decades of heavy government censorship 3. Gorbachev encouraged reform in other 15 Soviet Socialist Republics: new countries 4. Hard-line communists attempted a coup against Gorbachev – failed 5. U.S.S.R. crumbles; Gorbachev = the last leader of the USSR 6.Boris Yeltsin, with support of many who wanted continued reforms, becomes President of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev U.S.S.R. Boris Yeltsin Russia

10. Break Up of Soviet Union 1. Soviet Republics, one-by-one, broke away from Moscow and declared independence. 2. 1989-90: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) was dead.

https://www.slideshare.net/bbednars/collapse-of-soviet-union-61548605

McGg:
The West is as evil as you can never imagined and they have a near perfect way of painting white black