Russian Orthodox Synod strained by Ukraine fighting (Moscow Patriarchate)

The Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow has acknowledged that because of “the international situation,” four bishops from Ukraine did not attend a meeting of the Russian Orthodox Synod last week.

Of the four Ukrainian bishops who still maintain allegiance to the Moscow patriarchate, three have issued public statements opposing the Russian invasion. Their absence from the meeting underlines the tensions within the Orthodox fold, as Ukrainian Orthodox believers grow estranged from Russia.

In a related development, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, in a service for the armed forces, said that “we love our fatherland and will be ready to defend it in the way that only Russian can defend their country.” He indicated that he sees the Russian intervention in Ukraine as such a defense, saying that “these are the people and peoples of Holy Rus’, all these are our brothers and sisters.” He lamented that “various forces pushed the brothers against each other.”