Head Of German Catholics Criticizes Putin And Russian Orthodox Church

They are not acting in a Christian way.

Chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Germany Georg Bätzing called Vladimir Putin's actions “unchristian” and criticized the closeness of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian authorities. Bätzing spoke with these words in an interview with the Kölnische Rundschau newspaper, published on Saturday, April 19, on the eve of Easter, «Deutsche Welle» reports.

“Putin, with his nationalist megalomania, stands next to the Moscow Patriarch on Easter night and holds a candle in his hand. It is terrible that they still want to present their unchristian actions as Christian,” Bätzing said.

“The invasion of Ukraine three years ago. The election of Donald Trump. This is a world of egoists under the motto: “If someone thinks about himself, then he thinks about everyone,” the bishop continued. “But Easter writes the opposite story. Easter means: no, not if everyone thinks about himself, then he thinks about everyone. But — if everyone thinks about everyone.” Betzing called for love for people and solidarity, calling it an “Easter message.”

The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church for the war in Ukraine

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church supported the Russian authorities and excommunicated a number of anti-war priests. In March 2024, the public organization “World Russian People's Council” under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church and the chairmanship of Patriarch Kirill called the invasion of Ukraine a “holy war” and stated that “the entire territory of modern Ukraine should enter the zone of exclusive influence of Russia.”

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