“Loss of moral authority: a tragedy for Russian Orthodox Church and Russians," - UGCC Bishop

In an interview with the Catholic multimedia portal of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Bishop Bogdan Dziurakh, the Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia, shared this information, as reported by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.

"It is a tragedy for this Church, for this society because the worst times in the history of God's people were when there was no prophet. Those were times of darkness and uncertainty, as well as abundant in crimes and suffering. I believe it is a tragedy for the Russian people that they no longer have the moral authority that could provide them with guidance and direction in today's times," the hierarch stated.

According to him, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church compromises Christianity and the Gospel when he justifies and even blesses the war, the killing of children, and the destruction of neighboring countries. None of the bishops condemned the war in any way. The situation is different in Ukraine.

"From the very beginning, all the Churches clearly spoke out against aggression and tried in every way to stand with the people, support and help those who were suffering. The Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is connected to Moscow, is also going through a crisis. It is a crisis of identity because the members of this Church are the ones most affected by the war and the ones who suffer the most from it. Suddenly, they cannot understand, comprehend, and accept that their former Patriarch has become an aggressor Patriarch," noted the hierarch of the UGCC.

"This is an identity crisis because the members of this Church are the ones most affected by the war and who suffer the most from it. Suddenly, they cannot understand, comprehend, and accept that their former Patriarch has become an aggressor Patriarch," noted the hierarch of the UGCC.