Not a sacred war: Putin's response to Patriarch Kirill

On 9 February 2024, American journalist Tucker Carlson published an interview with Vladimir Putin, which he had recorded with him in Moscow a few days earlier. Even before it was broadcast, the whole world was talking about it, and in just one day the interview was viewed by more than 170 million people.

Why is it interesting to the Orthodox? Putin commented on issues related to faith: how he perceives Orthodoxy in the context of other religions, if Christianity is compatible with murder if it is necessary to go to church often and if there is a metaphysical dimension to the current war.

Why is this man's opinion so important? Well, at least because it is certainly influential in the Russian Church. And, as it turns out, his opinion regarding both faith and the war differs greatly from how it is perceived in the ROC.

The struggle against the Antichrist? No, ordinary historical processes

Over the past year and a half, dozens of statements have been made by the ROC as a whole, and by Patriarch Kirill in particular, which present Russia's current war in Ukraine as a metaphysical sacred struggle of good against the forces of evil.

This was most obviously demonstrated by the ROC's common conference with the RF Armed Forces at the "Christmas Readings" under the title "The Sacred War: The Transformation of Russia". The word "sacred" in the Church always refers to that which is associated with God, sacredness and grace. And one must have a very good reason to link sacredness and murder, to connect two inseparable words – "sacred" and "war."

Here are a few quotes from the Patriarch describing the Church's attitude to the war in Ukraine.

"It is very important that our country based on a centuries-old spiritual and cultural tradition, which has formed its own code of moral values, was able in a sense to lead the resistance – an incredible word I will say now! – to the Antichrist. Resistance to the coming of global evil into the world," the speech in the Federation Council on 24 January 2024.

"Today our country is faced with an obvious challenge of evil – the very evil that threatens the whole world," the speech of the Patriarch at a meeting with the activists of the Committee of Warriors' Families.

"Pray for the Homeland, because it now confronts the world evil," the speech of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 8 October 2023.

"We have entered into a struggle that has metaphysical rather than physical significance," a sermon on Forgiveness Sunday, 6 March 2022.

But does the man who leads and directs this very struggle agree with such formulations? Does Putin believe that Russia is fighting in Ukraine against the forces of evil in some kind of "sacred" and "metaphysical" war?

Tucker Carlson, talking about the confrontation in the world, asks him directly if he sees divine, supernatural forces at work here.

Putin even seems somewhat discouraged by such a question.

"No, frankly speaking, I don't think so. I think that the world community develops according to its internal laws, and they are what they are. This has always been the case in the history of mankind – some nations and countries rose, multiplied, strengthened, then they fell off the international arena," Putin said and cited historical examples of the collapse of the Golden Horde and the Roman Empire, summarising that today "the chance processes are going much faster".

In other words, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces does not see any sacred component in the current war. For him, it is part of the process of a new world division, which is common in history.

Will Russia not save the world from the Antichrist?

In many circles of the Russian Orthodox Church, the idea of reviving the Russian Empire as a Catechon, keeping the world from finally falling into the abyss of sin and destruction, is now popular. It was also very popular in the 19th century among Russian intellectuals and clergy, including the philosopher Vladimir Solovyov, the writer Sergei Nilus and St John of Kronstadt. This idea suggested that the Russian emperor, as God's anointed, was destined to become the "one that withholds", the one who would be able to resist the forces that would bring the Apocalypse closer.

After the execution of the Tsar and the royal family, the idea of Russia as the Catechon did not disappear but was transformed. The "God-bearing people", Russia or the Russian Church were considered by some forces as withholding.

Patriarch Kirill expressed such a catechonic idea in his sermon on the Annunciation of 2022.

"In the Scripture, there is a mention of a certain force that holds back the coming of the Antichrist into the world. The Apostle does not say what this force is... Some believed it to be the Church, that it is precisely the Church that is the withholding force. And this is correct – the Church prevents people from losing their life orientations. But it is also the entire pious people of all times and all nations, it is the Orthodox faith, which lives and acts in the Orthodox Church. This is the force that withholds."

The most popular priest on the Internet, Andrey Tkachev, says that it is Russia is destined to become an Orthodox monarchy: "The Empire is being revived, folks, not a red empire, but a double-headed, eagle-bearing, Orthodox, genuine... Since Christ reigns over all, and we believe in Him, then if we allow this faith to enter all pores of our society, we will be a true monarchy. We need a monarchy because our soul longs for an Orthodox tsar."

Archbishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar, according to the Catechon idea, directly calls Putin "the chosen one", destined to save the world: "Through Vladimir Putin, our Savior will save the whole world. Holy Rus would be destroyed, but it will not fall with the Chosen One."

On Putin's 70th birthday, Patriarch Kirill adds a special petition to the Liturgy: "We also pray to You, O Lord our God, for the Head of the Russian State, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to grant him Your abundant mercies and bounties, to grant him health and longevity and deliver him from resistance of all visible and invisible enemies, to strengthen him in wisdom and spiritual strength, all saying, O Lord, hear and have mercy." On another occasion, the Patriarch calls the President "an Orthodox man who clearly understands the enormous responsibility placed on him from above."

But does the President of the Russian Federation truly understand this "responsibility", or more precisely, the hopes placed on him by the Russian Church? And does he intend to fulfil them?

In an interview with Carlson, Putin stated that "Eastern Christianity has deeply rooted itself in the consciousness of the Russian people." However, when Russia "absorbed other peoples who profess Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism", the state treated the bearers of these faiths very loyally. According to Putin, this was due to the similarity of these religions. "Essentially, the main theses, the main values, are very similar, if not to say that they are identical," said the President of the Russian Federation.

Firstly, this is nonsense. A "withholder" and "the God’s anointed" cannot equate Orthodoxy with Buddhism or Islam.

Secondly, Putin's words clearly indicate that he has no intention of building an Orthodox empire. Yes, for now, he relies on the Russian Orthodox Church. But only because there are more Orthodox in the country. If there are more "bearers of another faith" in the future, the strategy may well change.

But that's not all. Putin declares that religion (not even faith) "is not in its external manifestations, not in going to church every day or banging one's head on the floor. It's in the heart."

This short phrase contains two "anti-Orthodox" theses at once.

Only a lazy priest has not criticised the phrase deeply rooted in the people: "I have God in my soul." With these words, people explain why they do not go to church – they do not need it. They do not need prayers, worship services, confession and communion. "God is in the soul", and that's it. Need we say that such a position contradicts the position of the Church?

And what's "banging your head on the floor"? What does it mean? Yes, it is about earth bows, which people make during home or temple prayers. Putin's words clearly have an ironic undertone and are most likely an allusion to the proverb: "Make a fool pray to God, and he will break his forehead".

Another thing. Most of Putin's two-hour interview was a lecture on history. But in that lecture, he never used the term "Holy Rus" – the very term that practically echoes in every sermon by Patriarch Kirill and other hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. "Russia", "Russian power", "Russian state", but not "Holy Rus”. He mentioned "Rus" only once when recalling the Baptism of the people by Prince Vladimir in 988.

Conclusions

Carlson's "Interview of the Century" with Putin most clearly demonstrated that the goals and objectives of the war in Ukraine, as declared in the Russian Church, absolutely do not coincide with the goals and objectives of the Russian leadership.

• Putin does not see the "SMO" as a struggle of good against evil, a sacred or metaphysical war. He does not see any religious component in it at all. The President of the Russian Federation clearly says that it is merely a usual historical process of reshaping the world and asserting the interests of his country.
• The authorities of the Russian Federation do not at all think in terms of the Catechon's interests. No one intends to build an Orthodox empire or resist the coming of the Antichrist. And certainly, Putin has no plans to "anoint himself for the Kingdom" and become the "saviour of the world."
• "Holy Rus" is a term that is exclusively used in church circles. The authorities are interested in it solely in the context of influencing the domestic audience for the sake of mobilizing Russians for war. There is no such term for the outside world.
• Putin made it clear that he is not a churchgoer. He does not consider attending church services important, advocates for "religion in the heart" and believes that Orthodoxy fundamentally does not differ from other religions in Russia.

Perhaps, other conclusions can be drawn.

But these are enough to understand how "reasoned" are all the theses that are currently being voiced in the Russian Church in favour of the "Ukrainian" war.

However, all this is the rhetoric of the establishment. But wars are not waged by officials, presidents or patriarchs. It is ordinary men, not only military professionals, who take up arms. These are yesterday's drivers, engineers or tractor drivers. Someone's fathers, sons, husbands and brothers. And often they return home in plywood or zinc coffins. And the first question their relatives ask when they see this coffin is what for? What did my dearest person die for? For "Holy Rus," for the Catechon so that the Antichrist would not come?

But is it said in the Holy Scriptures that a sacred empire will rise in the east, which will fight against the Antichrist and defeat him? Or is something else written there?

Putin, with all his peculiarities, describes the reasons for the war and the motives of his actions honestly and openly. He makes it clear that the war is being waged in the interests of the state he rules. Ukrainian territories are being "liberated" and new resources are being developed for its sake. And for this "great Russia," Russians go to war. And they perish. But why do the Russian Orthodox Church instil in them that they are dying for some "sacred" purposes?

Many publics eagerly quote another phrase of Putin's about future reconciliation. "Relations between peoples will be restored anyway. It will take a long time, but they will be restored," he said, adding that "the Russian Church unites not the territory but the soul."

High and lofty words. But at the same time, while Putin is giving an interview, ROC priests are bringing rifles (!) to the front line so that one part of this "soul" can more effectively kill another.

We believe that peace between peoples will indeed be restored. But isn't that what the Church is supposed to be doing? Isn't that what Christ's words are about: "By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love among yourselves"?

We would like to conclude with the words Metropolitan Onuphry said to Russian prisoners of war after a service held for them in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in the summer of 2022: "War is not the means by which unity between peoples and families can be achieved. Violence cannot make unity; unity is made by love. And love is God. He who prays and follows divine commandments is a God's person.

We mustn’t kill each other. Death does no good to anyone; it only brings grief into every home. It is a shame for peoples who emerged from the same font of Baptism to fight against each other. And we must do everything to stop this madness. May God bless our lands with peace."