Greek theologian called on the World Council of Churches to expel the Church of Russia from its ranks after violating fundamental values of Christianity

Ukraine , March 07 2022

Most Reverend Father Ioan(Sauca), Acting Secretary General of the World Council of Churches

Your Bless,

I am sending you this letter as a faithfull child of the Church and an expert in the Doctrinal Theology, Canon Law of the Catholic Church, Semiotics of the Bible and a University fellow of Orthodox Theology. I am sending you this letter as a politician of my homeland of Greece.

I am sending you this letter as a minimal soldıer but extremely active in the dialogue between Churches and Religions. I am finally sending you this letter above and beyond everything as a human being. I remember my self in my fırst master courses perıod, the subject Ecumenical Movement - Inter-Christian Dialogue and how i was expectıng for the time to come to learn the true meaning of the Christian theology - except of course the Doctrinal or Law issues - that was nothing else but love, understanding , the coexistence between people of different religions and in this case different Churches, Doctrines and Denominations. What I learned was that the expression of that dialogue was the World Council of Churches responsability both with the cooperation between the Churches, Doctrines, Denominations but also wıth the actions of institutional committees, whose goal and purpose was the peaceful coexistence of peoples and Christian cooperation.

When I completed many of my master courses I visited the headquarters of the World Council of Churches. Oh what pride I felt. I still remember the photo with the blessed pastor Martin Luther King. My last vısit was the end of 2019 Today, from Ukraine, where I am, as a minimum to help as much as I can, I remember of these Values of the Council and as I read your constitutional Charter I see terms that have no reference to what I live here unfortunately.

Within the Council at the moment there is a Church(Russıan Church) which, if not all, the statutory values- surely one - ıs been trampled so wildy that everybody can justıfy and nobody can deny "Engage in Christian service by serving human need, breaking down barriers between people, seeking justice and peace, and upholding the integrity of creation" İn truth, as a minimum and with all the power I have, I ask you, as a believer of one of the Churches that is your member or collaborator, to take all those actions needed so that the PSE expels the Church of Russia from its ranks after violating fundamental values of Christianity.

With tears coming in my eyes for what I saw, see and will see in the long-suffering Ukraine, please, as an organization, stand up to the real situations and historical moments. World War II failed to complete the work of the inspirers of the PSE and because of the war this idea remained non actıve for many years.

But at the end of the war the idea was put into practice by great leaders of Christianity. And this idea was two words as prıncıpal. Never again ! Unfortunately, "never Again" remained just a nice wish. And this is what our Ukrainian brothers are experiencing as a result of the barbaric invasion that unfortunately have the blessings of a Church, Russian Church. And they are not the only ones who experiencing it. We all who came here to promote the universal values of peace and coexistence that we carry deep within us experience that - each in its own subject – . We experience it as humanity and without wanting to be a fortune teller I see history repeating itself. Then Hitler with the informal support of the German evangelicals.

Today Putin with the support of the Russian Church Now in 2022 we as Christians have no excuse to tolerate such practices that offend man as the Image of God. Reverently embracing your right hand and wishing you a Happy Holy and Great Lent.

SAS Ioannis Orfanoudakis (-Foskolos) OFS Theologian ,expert in Doctrinal Theology of the Catholic Church, Canon Law, Grant holder of SSF(Iky.gr) in Orthodox Church Theology and Religious Studies in the National University of Athens ,interfaith and interreligius dialogue ,member of the Futurium think tank of the European Commission , Brussels.