OCU Hierarchical Council calls on Patriarch Bartholomew to urge Kirill to renounce the false doctrine of the "Russian World"

"Today, the 'Russian World' is essentially a Eurasian political ideology of neo-imperial aggression and war, utilizing elements of Christian social teaching," stated the members of the OCU Hierarchical Council.

The letter states:

"The ideology of the 'Russian World' has a distinctly heretical nature. The deviation of Moscow Orthodoxy from Christian teaching is clearly manifested in the promotion of a cult of violence and the justification ('forgiveness of sins') of perpetrators of violence, the use of the Church as a tool for achieving the political goals of Russia's secular leadership (local – the capture of Ukraine, global – the destruction of the 'collective enemy,' i.e., Euro-Atlantic civilization), the incitement of apocalyptic sentiments among believers, and the willingness to destroy the world (nuclear blackmail) to achieve a supposed victory. This leads to the substitution of Christian doctrinal truths and Church teachings with historical and political myths to politically sacralize the state power of the Kremlin regime and its neo-imperial geopolitics...

The creation of a new 'theology of war' ('holy war') by the Moscow Patriarchate increasingly resembles the creation of a new 'civil religion' with the cult of the 'Moscow/Russian state' and 'Holy (Triune) Rus,' where Christian values are deliberately pushed into the background to achieve the aggressive goals of the political leadership of the Russian Federation. This new civil (political) religion uses the Orthodox context as one of its spheres of influence to legitimize its rule.

The 'Russian World' poses a threat not only to the entire Christian world but also to humanity as a whole. This has been repeatedly pointed out by renowned theologians from around the world, who signed a document titled 'A Declaration on the “Russian World” (Russkii mir) Teaching.'

The Hierarchical Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine considers it fair to define the ideology of the 'Russian World' not only as an ethnophyletic heresy but also as a teaching that places not only the leadership but the entire ROC, which actively supports this ideology (or rather, 'civil religion'), outside the bounds of Orthodox Christianity.

The OCU bishops ask Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to call on Kirill Gundyaev to publicly renounce the false teaching of the 'Russian World,' condemn and revoke the decree of the so-called 'council,' which contains elements of this false teaching.

'We believe that as long as Kirill Gundyaev does not heed this call "and refuses to listen even to the Church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector" (Matthew 18:17), as well as all those who support, propagate, and follow this teaching in church life. Therefore, we cannot have church communion with them,' states the letter from the Hierarchical Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The OCU bishops concluded:

'The Orthodox Church of Ukraine rejects and condemns the teaching of the 'Russian World' as based on the heretical foundations of ethnophyletism, Manichaeism, and Gnosticism. In our opinion, active propagandists of the 'Russian World' teaching and the leaders of the Moscow Patriarchate, especially the permanent members of the ROC Holy Synod, fall under the condemnation expressed by the Church regarding these heretical teachings until they publicly renounce it.