The Orthodox Church of Russia is involved too much in political issues and this is detrimental to the state and the Church, civic activist Rodion Gavriloi, a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Seminar, said in a public debate on the significance of Low Sunday and May 9 that was hosted by IPN News Agency.
Explaining his position, the speaker gave as example Patriarch Kiril’s position in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine when supports of this Patriarchate can be found on both sides of the barricade. The anti-Ukrainian rhetoric of the Russian Church is the effect of the “flirting” of the church with the state and such a phenomenon can be also seen in Moldova.
He opined that the church and the state should be fully separated and prevented from influencing each other. “Surely, in Russia there are clerics who plead in a different way, but their voice is less heard. After they call the war ‘war’ in their prayers, they are persecuted by bishops and by the authorities,” he stated.
The theology expert said Saint George was a Christian roman soldier who died like a martyr because he didn’t want to reject Christ. “There is no doubt that the one in whose memory and honor the military award with the black-and-orange ribbon was instituted wouldn’t have liked to be associated with the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine and the order of Saint Gheorghe, with the ribbon that became a symbol of hatred and division, serves as coverage for real crimes.”
As to the lessons that should be learned in connection with May 9 and Low Sunday, Rodion Gavriloi said these commemoration holidays should be celebrated separately and should not be mingled. “Low Sunday should be celebrated as a day of remembrance for the dead parents, while May 9 should remind of all the wars that took place and we should ponder over and contribute to reconciliation,” he stated.
Surely, Saint George has nothing to do with what Russia does in Ukraine, said the expert. “I’m very glad that Moldova’s Parliament took this decision (to ban the black-and-orange ribbon, alongside other signs of the Russian invasion of Ukraine). I hope everyone will understand and will obey the law,” said Rodion Gavriloi.
The public debate titled “Significance of Low Sunday and May 9: Affinities, dissimilarities and specific features in times of war” was the 242th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
