‘Putin’s altar boy’ – the head of the Russian Orthodox Church – excluded from EU sanctions
Eusebio R. Sheffield
2 min read
Topline
The European Union has abandoned its plan to sanction Patriarch Cyril of the Russian Orthodox Church, various electrical outlets reported Thursday, bowing to Hungarian objections to penalize the Russian religious leader for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Patriarch Cyril of the Russian Orthodox Church, left, appears alongside Russian President Vladimir … [+]
Getty Images
Highlights
The EU had included Patriarch Kirill in a sanctions proposal unveiled On May 4, that would have made him subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze, but Hungary restrained the sanctions package, which includes a partial embargo on Russian oil, over its objection to targeting the religious leader.
A longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Patriarch Kirill has been a key figure in rallying public support for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, representing like a holy war.
Patriarch Kirill’s support for the war has drawn widespread criticism from religious leaders, including Pope Francis, who has warned that Patriarch Kirill is turning into “Putin’s altar boy” in a interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published last month.
Tensions over Patriarch Kirill’s support for the war led the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church to officially Pause of the Russian Orthodox Church last week.
Key context
About 70% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christians, according to a March survey by the state-owned Russian Center for Public Opinion Research and 78% of Ukrainians, according to a 2015 Pew poll investigation. The common religious background was a crucial link between neighboring countries, but growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine in recent years had led to religious schisms. The new Ukrainian Orthodox Church was independence granted of the Russian Church in 2019 following Russia’s forced annexation of Crimea to Ukraine in 2014 and the occupation of parts of eastern Ukraine.
crucial quote
“May the Lord help us all at this difficult time for our homeland to unite, including around the authorities,” Patriarch Kirill said. said in a sermon in April, according to Yahoo. The Russian leader also said he supported Russia’s “ability to fend off external and internal enemies”.
Further reading
Russian Orthodox leader backs war in Ukraine, divides faith (Washington Post)
Putin’s powerful Orthodox church ally helps cement Russian support for war (the wall street journal)
Pope Francis warns pro-war Russian patriarch not to be ‘Putin’s altar boy’ (CNN)
